Never Too Late
by 14Cookiesinajar
Summary: Sans wakes up with a strange feeling regarding the latest Reset, but it takes him awhile to figure out why. Papyrus wasn't expecting the tables to be turned like this. Undyne just wants things to be simple and quick, what the hell? Alphys didn't know what to do with all of this strange acceptance... All because in the end, for Frisk, it really wasn't worth it...
1. Surprised

When Sans woke up, the initial emotion he registered was, surprisingly, surprise. Sans shouldn't have been surprised. He could feel it; that weird sensation that came along with a RESET. They'd RESET, whoever they were. They always did.

Sans shouldn't have been surprised.

But he was.

He was surprised.

But not... betrayed.

That was good. That was always good. And he wasn't particularly angry either, so there was that. Hm. Surprised though. Almost as if the RESET was unexpected. Did they do it mid-timeline? No... That didn't feel right. Somehow. But still, he was surprised. A weird sort of surprised. As if... he had never expected it to happen again. But what did that mean? Surprised by a RESET but not feeling betrayed by it? That didn't make sense.

It never did though. At least he thought. He didn't really remember, just the feelings of time going back and forth over the last few months, before moving along, the anomaly apparently bored with the current options. Whoever they were.

This was just... weird though. It felt weird. Different. Sans wasn't sure. He wished he could actually remember.

There was nothing to be done though but go about his day...

A day passed with nothing spectacular to say about it, but then the next...

He saw them.

He saw them and he instantly knew. They were the time anomaly. A little human kid inching out of the Ruins.

It had to be a human kid of course. Of course fate would do this to him. _He_ was always the butt of the joke in the end. Not that he would have been able to actually do anything to them in the long run. But it would have been nice to have the option, just in case. But nope. He'd had to go and promise. Good going, Sans.

He watched the kid walk along, eyeing the trees, and he hesitated. They seemed jittery. Nerves?

When he slipped in behind them and began to talk, they turned around before he told them too. Not fearfully, but knowingly. They'd definitely seen this before. But Sans was so caught off guard. Because with the way they had been walking, the way he had spoken menacingly, their smile... he was not expecting. And not just a smile, oh boy, oh _glory_ were they beaming as they reached for his offered hand. And how bright the light danced as they laughed at the whoopie cushion going off. And how bewildered was Sans as their eyes closed and their smile widened and he felt something funny in his ribcage...

Once Sans had regained himself, they were listening intently, their eyes still bright as he talked- And when he mentioned Papyrus... Sans hadn't thought their smile could have gotten wider, but it did.

Heh... They were rubbing him the wrong way but sending all the right signals.

And once they walked over the bridge and they saw the lamp in the snow, Sans knew that, yeah, they'd seen this all before, but he also knew why he had been surprised.

It'd been awhile since the last RESET. Months at least. Probably. And that was... curious. It'd been awhile but he hadn't felt betrayed. But also hadn't expected it. He couldn't figure it out. The puzzle pieces weren't working together.

They were the time anomaly, which up to that point he knew in his nonexistent stomach that he hated that thing, but here the kid was... and he didn't _distrust_ them. He didn't... He didn't think this was the same anomaly that had been terrorizing him over the course of the last few "months".

He didn't know how that worked.

But the kid seemed nice enough. Seemed excited at the prospect of meeting his brother again, and to be honest, that was almost a gold star in Sans' book.

Almost.

They still had time between their tiny fingers. Were still a scarily powerful enigma.

And Sans wasn't quick to trust. He wasn't his brother.

But here Papyrus came now.

"Why dontcha hide behind that conveniently shaped lamp over there?" He offered. They glance his way, and he knew what the jitters from earlier had been, not nerves persay, but excitement.

"Brilliant." They say, exaggerating the word a bit as they slid to their destination. Sans tilted his head as he watched them. Their first words to him this timeline and was that... a pun? He let out a small huff of laughter before turning to greet his brother.

The kid couldn't keep themselves together.

Sans could hear them laughing as he went along, as Papyrus talked boisterously, he caught a glimpse of moving snow behind the lamp as they seemed to have to crouch down and cover their mouth. Sans knew he was funny but this was sort of ridiculous.

But once Papyrus was gone and the kid came back out from behind the lamp, Sans could see it in their face, their half smile and the tears from laughing so hard fading away. The kid had missed this.

Missed what? The timeline jumping? The adventure? Or... No. Their face as they stood across from Sans.

 _She'd_ missed _them_.

Sans let himself see the kid as a person for a moment and not just a frightening figure to be appeased.

The little human girl had missed him. Had missed him and, more importantly, Papyrus. Though Sans didn't let himself get too torn up about it he _could_ say he understood that.

But that meant that wherever they had been before the RESET, the Skelebros hadn't been there with them. _Her_. Her...

So Sans was at a loss again. He didn't distrust her and he didn't feel betrayed but everything else was a complete and utter mystery.

She was beaming from ear to ear as she stepped away and Sans knew before opening his mouth that she would agree wholeheartedly to play along for Papyrus. And she did. She nodded enthusiastically, her smile unwavering as she stepped to the side.

She does hesitate though. She paused by the road and glanced nervously back at him. He raised an eye ridge curiously. She turned her side to him again as she reached upwards, her fingers seemingly coiling around thin air and dragging slowly downward. Huh. Wonder what that was abo- She'd died.

Sans was suddenly tense, frozen in place at the feeling hitting him, of time snapping back into place, hitching for a moment. It was just so immediate and a shock.

Because she had just been beaming, and happy, and confident, and now she was rigid, her fingers still pinched together as her shoulders hiked up to her neck and she stared ahead in terror. Her face was growing pale, not seeming to be breathing.

She'd _died_.

Sans stood there, tense, and starting to sweat. This wasn't the first time she'd experienced this, he noted as he observed her. But it was the first time in a long time.

She breathed out, but it was shaky. She didn't look so good.

She let out a small, tense laugh.

"Identify your smelf." She breathed, seeming to remember something. Her hands were rising to her face, but then one coiled around the back of her neck. She was still having difficulty breathing as her fingers pressed tightly against her skin. Her eyes closed and she breathed in deeply for several seconds. It's practiced. Sans watched as she continued to ward off what could have been a panic attack.

"you okay there, kid?" Silly question, but he asked it anyways. Her eyes opened and she glanced at him.

"Y-yeah. I just..." There was a small twitch at the side of her lips. "Lost my head there for a second." She was grabbing at her neck again with her fingers, shaking. Sans was grimacing. That sounded... pretty bad. Her eyes were closed again and she was breathing once more. After another moment she opened her eyes, her hands falling and she stared ahead. Determined as much as she could be. Her fingers raised again and she clutched thin air. What was that? Was that how they did the- She'd died again.

It's immediate and horrifying to watch as one second she's fierce and determined and the next she's jolting, hand recoiling, shaking as she took a step back, her right hand pressed to her chest. She froze firmly and her eyes closed as she breathed in quickly, and then more slowly. She slid down into the snow and continued to breathe.

Sans had to admit that it's really off putting. It's... too practiced. Too even. She isn't as frantic as he would think a child should be at dying. Crap he was letting a child get killed. But what could he really do about? There wasn't a point to him getting involved. Not a point to any of this.

The kid was breathing out again loudly.

"Okay." She told herself. She stood up and her eyes opened, sharp and fierce again, and **determined**. Her hand reached out and Sans had to wonder... Why does she keep doing that? At the same spot? What did it mattered if she used another SAVE when she hadn't moved?

Her fingers mimiced pulling something down gently and then she turned to Sans. Her eyes... not just determined, but seemingly...

There was a falling sensation where Sans' stomach would be.

Those eyes...

Sans wasn't sure how he knew, wasn't sure what he saw in those eyes that made it suddenly obvious to him.

But...

It hadn't been _months_ since the last RESET.

It'd been _years_.

* * *

...

..

Author's Notes:

This will at the very least have another scene to it, but other than that, no. I refuse to get carried away! I have so much else to write! Gaaah.

I think this is my first published gendered Frisk... Hm.


	2. Confused

**Author's note** : I did exactly what I said I wouldn't... Got carried away. A few more drabbles to come after this. Dang nab it.

...

..

* * *

The Great Papyrus was a great many things: brave, noble, loyal, kind, presistent, confident, and with the sharpest of fashion senses. All the things the people would soon discover and he would finally get all the things he greatly deserved! He would finally achieve his dream!

Except... There was one more thing Papyrus was, though it had only sprung up that day. And that was... Confused!

"SANS?" Papyrus whispered, as much as he ever whispered. One had to ensure they were heard and sounded assured if they ever wanted to be taken seriously, and Papyrus most certainly was that. But right then, it didn't feel as true as it usually did. Because... "ARE YOU SURE THAT THE HUMAN DOES NOT SEEM FAMILIAR TO YOU?"

Sans eyed his brother, seeming curious.

"nah." Sans said finally. "what? do they to you? like ya know her?" Papyrus paused, he wasn't sure how to respond to that. Because it wasn't as if he thought he had met The Human before, no, he was quite certain that he hadn't, how could he have? But...

"NO. IT IS NOT THAT." Papyrus admitted allowed. "IT IS MORE AS IF... THEY KNOW ME." Sans raised a brow... kinda. "IT IS NOTHING! NOR IMPORTANT!" Papyrus declared, standing up straighter.

After all, he had a job to do. He had a quest to fulfill! To test their ability and capture them!

And he could see The Human approaching now, nearing his latest puzzle, one that was sure to stump them! Except... The Human was standing across from him, smiling that same smile they always were: bright, knowing, loving, kind, persistent, confident and with the sharpest of eyes. They looked as if they were genuinely pleased to see him, which he understood of course! Who wouldn't want to see The Great Papyrus in all of his Greatness? It was just... well... As Papyrus spoke, trying to declare to them their most certain stumpidness to come! They simply continued to smile, not at all seeming phased by his words. The Human simply stood there and seemed to be waiting for him to catch up to whatever it was that they had seemed to have decided since the first moment The Human and Papyrus had laid eyes on each other.

That was probably what threw him off the most in all of it.

The Human had had that knowing smile since the very beginning. Smiling as if they were excited to see him as much as he was to see a human. Papyrus was certain of their future capture, but in their gaze... he almost felt as if they were the ones sure of _his_ capture. They never once looked concerned about his declarations. They never once seemed to believe he meant what he meant!

But he meant it! He was going to be in the Royal Guard! Popular! Praised! Appreciat...ed.

The Human... They had the same appreciative gaze, a light in their eyes, that he saw a lot of times on Sans' face whenever Papyrus did anything...

And The Human... They fluttered around Papyrus' side, an excitement in their step as they listened, the look on their face as if they had so many things to tell him, so many things that they wanted to say as well but had to contain inside.

"Sans, its fairly obvious that the Junior Jumble is much more difficult." The Human said, their arms crossed as they stared at his brother seriously. But then the smile returned as they looked up at Papyrus and something twisted inside him at their excitement. They seemed to be waiting for him to praise them back, but _he_ , The Great Papyrus, was... at a loss for words.

The Human, and even Sans, seemed a bit concerned as he stumbled verbally and then away from them, even as he tried to regain his composure. But as he stormed away he could feel the tension between the two watching him make his escape. And he felt a prick of guilt. He had caused them both to worry! But...

The Human was as baffling as the daily horoscope. Their eyes seemed to know things, to expect them, and yet how could they? How could something know something before The Great Papyrus did? How could they be so certain?

And as he fumbled his deadly trap, the swinging missles, and the dog, and he told his excuses... That this was obviously too easy to beat The Human if he used it... but Papyrus could tell... There was that smile again.

Almost like a parent who listened to thier child's excited, ludicrous declarations, only to pat their head gently, all the while knowing that, while the child would in fact grow up to do wonderous things, it would most certainly not be in that the child expects at first. That the child would be great in their true calling! Only it isn't what he thinks... But something else. Something more. The child just hadn't opened his eyes enough to see it. Even if it was right in front of him.

What was Papyrus missing? What was right there in front of him that The Human and Sans could see but Papyrus couldn't?!

The Human... They stood across from him, smiling, waiting for the Fight to begin... And as their Soul burned red and bare before him, The Human lifted out their arms encouragingly.

"Let's hang out, Papyrus!"

Papyrus halted in place.

So they wouldn't fight?

But suddenly Papyrus could see it. His eyes opened wide. He immediately knew.

But he couldn't! He had to capture them! He couldn't be... couldn't be their...

Except, that look on their face.

Nobody, no really, nobody... Nobody except Sans would ever like him as much as The Human.

"I... ALRIGHT." Papyrus said, as he stood as straight as possible.

The Human's smile fell in sure surprise, and Papyrus was surprised too as their Soul returned to their chest. The two stood across from each other in silence, The Human's mouth open wide, finally not seeing something Papyrus threw at them coming. And Papyrus stood there, beginning to sweat as he wasn't sure what to do next.

He had just thrown away everything! Years and years of training! Of building up to this moment! But somehow... It felt right. And if in return he gained their true friendship, well... Then perhaps Papyrus didn't need anything else.

Undyne was going to be so disappointed in him... But how? How could he? When they looked at him so... like that!

The Human's face was breaking out in their most brilliant of smiles yet, genuine and excited as they raced across the former battlefield, and before he kew it, The Human was lifting their hands up and jumping. And immediately Papyrus caught them, and he knew for certain that yes, he had made the right choice. Giving all that up for this... it was the right choice.

"It has to be..." The Human breathed, as if reading his own thoughts. As if his thoughts were his own, and Papyrus jolted in surprise, not understanding what they meant and uncertain of if they even realized that they had even spoken aloud. There were tears in their eyes as they pulled away, and they wiped them away as they looked back up.

"I want to see your house!" The Human exclaimed. "All your things! Le'ts hang out!" The excitement was palpable. And he gave them a perplexed expression. Their own expression saddened, once again seeming to read his thoughts. "I know... I'm sorry.. I must seem so strange to you." They lowered their head. "I just... I really missed you." They looked up again, a sorry smile but something else in their eyes. As if they had indeed missed him. But not just missed him, but missed him most of all.

Papyrus still didn't get it, it only made it worse, and they... suddenly reminded him a bit of Sans, saying things that didn't make sense and keeping the explaination to themself, but it seemed... that his acceptance was all they needed regardless.

And as Papyrus was captured by the hand and basically dragged back to his own house, he hoped that he was going to be just as great at being somebody's friend as he was at everything else. Maybe... even better. Anything for someone who truly, truly loved being his friend.


	3. Sickened

"what? haven't you seen a guy with two jobs before?" Sans asked, eyeing her up and down as she stood across from him, giving him a strange expression that had nothing to do with seeing him in multiple places. He honestly wasn't sure what that expression was... It was definitely hesitant, maybe even a little afraid, a tad sick. Her lips were pressed together, as if she wanted to ask him something but wasn't brave enough. "fortunatley, two jobs means twice as many legally-required breaks."

Sans stood up from his chair and tilted his head encouragingly.

"i'm going to grillby's. wanna come?" The kid nodded.

"Yeah." They breathed out.

"well, if you insist... i'll pry myself away from my work..." Sans began to walk past his station but in the corner of his eye he saw her grasp her fingers together and pull downward... Another Save. He held his own breath, waiting for the world to blip and be forgotten but nothing happened... which... meant nothing of course it could still happen but for them he still had to look ahead.

That little hand thing bothered him a bit, if he was honest. They, she, did it where ever she seemed to want to. Before this, Sans had thought the anomally needed to be a specific places in the Underground to Save, much like his shortcuts, a followed set of illogical rules. But nope. She just did it. Whenever. Usually when she seemed to be needing a pick-me-up. He'd noticed that, since he had began to watch their tick curiously after she had Saved three times in a row when it should have been pointless.

So with that being said, he shouldn't have felt so alert by her Saving before heading after him to Grillby's, it was just for a small boost... but... a boost for what? She had always seemed to have the greatest ease in interacting with Papyrus, but with Sans she never seemed so sure. Then again, Sans wasn't sure either. So at least it was mutual.

 ** _PPPPFFFFFFFT._**

"whoops, watch where you sit down. sometimes weirdos put whoopee cushions on the seats." The kid laughed, genuinely, but she still seemed hesitant even as she removed the whoopee cushion and let it fall to the floor. Something seemed to be on her mind... but... "anyways, let's order."

They ordered the fries and as Grillby's disappeared, Sans leaned up against the counter, giving the kid his signature smile.

"so what do you think... of my brother?" The kid smiled too but it seemed almost sad.

"He's cool..." They agreed.

"of course he's cool. you'd be cool too if you wore that outfit every day. he'd only take that thing off if he absolutely had to. oh well. at least he washes it. and by that i mean he wears it in the shower..." The door to the kitchen swung open and Sans turned his gaze briefly to watch Grillby, but the kid suddenly spoke up softly.

"I wonder if... that'd still be true a long time from now." They spoke as Grillby slid their order into place. "Thank you..." Grillby nodded silently.

"yeah thanks 'g." The Human stared at the fries as Grillby went back to his cleaning. "but what do you mean to say by that, kid?" Sans prodded.

"Just... It was... I'd think it would be comforting to think back to this place and the people and even if... you wondered how everything had changed you could at least know one thing was still the same. I..." They, she trailed off and shook her head. "It's a silly thought... Forget it." But Sans' mind was at work even if he was technically on break. Cuz that hypothetical statement was definitely not just that.

"nah, i get ya. it's not silly at all." He grabbed the ketchup, his smile brightening at a good idea to get them to liven up a bit. "want some ketchup?" The way the kid smiled, Sans realized they already knew what he was planning, but... if the familiar was comforting to them...

"Yes" They took the ketchup bottle and Sans winked.

"bone appetit."

Her fries were swimming in ketchup, the whole cap having fallen off.

"whoops. eh, forgeddaboudit. you can have mine. i'm not hungry anyway." The kid readily accepted the fries but hesitated another moment with one between their fingers.

"I had a job, once, I guess, too."

"you had two jobs once?"

"Haha, no! One job. As well. In the.. past. I always smelled like fries. But... that's not really important. We were talking about Papyrus. He's cool. And... stuff." She finished sheepishly, trying to get the conversation back on track, as if she hadn't said anything at all, something she shouldn't have because it technically wasn't true anymore.

"yeah... but yeah. cool or not, everybody's gotta agree that papyrus tries real hard. like how he's trying to get his own job, to be part of the royal guard."

"I didn't help with that, did I?" The kid admitted softly.

"pfft. what were you going to do about that? 'sides. he's been at it and he'll keep going at it. one day, he went to the house of the head of the royal guard... and begged her to let him be in it. of course, she shut the door on him because it was midnight. but the next day, she woke up and say him still waiting there. seeing his dedication, she decided to give him warrior training. it's, uh, still a work in progress." They trailed off into silence, nobody actually eating... The kid swallowed, seeming to grow nervous and Sans began to realize that this was the exact thing that had put that strange expression on her face at the very beginning...

"oh yeah," Sans started off as casually as possible, as if the space between them wasn't at all tense. "I wanted to ask you something." The world felt as if it was getting smaller, that all in all it was just the two of them. But if that were true he wouldn't be asking this question- The question- "have you ever heard of a talking flower?"

...

..

"Yes." She answered, her voice cracking. Their expression sick, on the very edge of terrified.

"so you know all about it." Sans agreed. The anomally. The original one that is, at least Sans had thought. But he didn't feel all that comfortable putting it all out in the open. "the echo flower." Sans backtracked. The kid lowered their head, not at all convinced by his change but aw well. "they're all over the marsh. say something to them, and they'll repeat it over and over..." The kid was tense in their seat which Sans did not find that assuring, but... if they did in fact care about Papyrus as he seemed to think they did- The anomally caring, that wasn't sonething he ever would have thought about he didn't think. At least that he could remember. But if they really did care, then they needed to know. Or at least be reminded.

"what about it?" Sans continued as if the kid had said anything to egg him on. "well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around... a flower appears and whispers things to him. flattery. advice. encouragement... predictions... weird, huh? someone must be using an echo flower to play a trick on him. keep an eye out, ok-"

"I'd killed it." Sans froze in place, the lights in his eyes vanishing as he felt incrediably cold. "I killed one of the echo flowers." The kid said, but just like Sans' switch up- "It was saying something threatening and I ripped it up." Their voice cracked, she was beginning to tremble. "I... K-Killing to protect the ones you love. I-It's okay, right? L-Like self defense." Their shoulders were hunched protectively around their neck as they seemed to start to want to cave in on themself even as they sat on the chair. They looked sick. Like they wanted to disappear. And their question... His mind was racing away to his own promise. About how if the old lady hadn't said anything... But their question... They seemed to really want an answer, they were peeking back up at him, a desperation in their eyes.

"kid, it was just a flower." Sans said finally. "no need to get so choked up about it."

That was most definitely the wrong thing to say. There was a ripple of despair in their expression but then they lowered their head again. And Sans had nothing to say... Or at the very least... anything he thought he should say. At least for now.

"Nobody ever has a straight answer." The kid conceded, as if they were also telling him it was okay that he was keeping things to himself.

She didn't give out straight answers either, afterall.

"But... I will keep an eye out." They promised. "We wouldn't want anything trying to change Papyrus... for anything." Sans could only stare at her, still unsure of what to say, except...

"thanks. but... uh... can i ask you one more favor?" The kid glanced up uncertainly. "i'm flat broke. do you think you could foot the bill?"


	4. Scared

Yo, it was just so cool! She'd touched his face! His FACE! He was never washing again! His mother would never get him to. Never! He was shaking, beyond exited. Oh- but his friend seemed a bit too still-

"Hey, yo- don't worry! We can keep trying! I'm sure we'll see her again!" He told the other kid (you could tell for certain they were another kid by their stripped shirt). The other kid only nodded, a small smile on their face. They didn't seem to say much, the other kid. Almost as if they weren't sure what to say. But that was okay! They were still a good listener, and he was certain that they were enjoying themself. Not everyone was a chatter box like his sister. "Besides! You already got her 'ttention before! We can do it again! For sure! Ha ha." They only nodded again. "C'mon!"

They were off, but then he planted head first into the ground. His friend was there in an instant, helping him up.

"Yo, thanks."

"You should be more careful, you know..." They told him, their voice soft and they seemed... sad.

"Yeah, yeah! You sound like my mom." He chided. Their face was even funnier after he'd said that- And they'd let him run off alone, their face covered in shadow when he looked back briefly.

He somehow had an uneasy feeling. It was weird. His mom also told him he never seemed to notice anything. Oblivious. And idiot and thick, his sister sometimes said. But it was kind of hard to not notice that shadow. Even if he didn't understand it. Well, best just keep goin'.

The next time he saw them, he had seen zilch of Undyne again, and now he was surrounded by dripping but lucky him! They had an umbrella!

"Yo, you got an umbrella?" He called. "Awesome!" He stomped over through the puddles and their smile widened as he joined them. "Let's go!" They walked in silence, but he could tell that they were enjoying his company. They walked slowly so he could keep up without tripping and they kept him in the corner of their sight. He was kind of glad they were out here with him. It was almost nerve racking to think of what his parents would do to him knowing he was out here on his own. But with them here he could claim honestly he wasn't really alone! And if they thought it worth risking their parents' wrath too, then it was sure to be fine! It was all worth it. Cuz- "Man, Undyne is soooooo cool! She beats up bad guys and NEVER loses. If I was a human, I would wet the bed every night... knowing she was gonna beat me up! Ha ha."

Immediately, he had to wonder if he had perhaps said something wrong. The smile faded, their grip on the umbrella tightened.

"Y-yeah..." They all but whispered. Huh? But it was nothing. They kept walking, and he followed along. But then he saw an echo flower, reminding him of somethin'.

"So. One time. We had a school project where we had to take care of a flower." He started at the memory. The other kid had walked a bit ahead and water was dripping down his face but he didn't mind. He was too caught up in his story, in his formulating idea! "The king- we had to call him 'Mr. Dreemurr'- volunteered to donate his own flowers. He ended up coming to school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff." He continued, trying to build up to his point. "That got me thinking... YO! How COOL would it be if UNDYNE came to school?! She could beat up ALL the teachers."

The other kid didn't seem as impressed with his idea as he'd thought they would be. You know... He had thought the other kid had come out here for Undyne too, but they didn't seem to hold the same enthusiasm as he did. They actually seemed kinda scared. But ha! Who were they to be scared of Undyne? Who were they to hold the umbrella that tight with their knuckles turning white as they walked ahead, almost leaving him behind and having him need to run to catch up, even though before they had been at ease letting him set the pace. They were nobody to be afraid-

"Umm, maybe she wouldn't beat up the teachers... She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!" He assured. He tried to calm them... They stopped wakling briefly, staring at him, their face strange again, but a different sort of strange. It was as if they were looking at him for the first time. But that was funny. They'd been seeing him this whole time? The other kid started walking again, but at least they seemed to have calmed down a bit. But maybe not in the assured way he'd hoped. They seemed to be thinking.

He bounded ahead excitedly as they came upon the opening, the castle set in the distance beneath the shimmering 'stars'...

"Woah..." He breathed. The other kid joined him, stil holding the umbrella, letting the handle rest against their shoulder. Their eyes were wide, taking in the sight.

"It's as breath taking as I remember..." They told him softly. There was a moment of silence... "I could live here forever."

"Heh." He watched their face, a brow raised. They were a strange one that's for sure. "Most people are tryin' to get out!" They laughed, but it didn't seem all that happy. In fact, it was sad again. It was kinda familiar now that he thought about it.

"You said Asgore taught you 'bout responsibility and stuff?" They continued.

"Yeah!" Oh- You know what... They smiled just like the king!

"What responsibility and stuff?"

"I don't know. Grown up stuff." He answered, but they didn't seemed satisfied with that. Though they didn't seem to have expected anything else from him either. He adjusted his stance awkwardly, they still seemed to be thinking.

"... You really, really like Undyne, don't you?"

"Well DUH!" He exclaimed. "Who wouldn't?! She's the coolest! She protects everyone in the Underground!"

"... everyone." They repeated under their breath. He had to raise his brow again.

"Man, you're really weird. But yeah! Everyone! You! Me!" They laughed a bit, their head lowering.

But then another, louder set of laughter echoed behind them. He turned, his eyes looking left and right curiously for the source of the sound. But the other kid... They had grown rigid in place. Their head lifted, their eyes wide and unseeing as they breathed in frantically.

"Hahahah! She protects everyone the idiot kid says!" A voice called. The other kid had twisted on their feet, a hand suddenly lifting out and he found himself pushed back behind them.

"Y-Yo! What-"

"Oh?! Planning on helping him this time?" The disembodied voice demanded merrily. The other kid glanced back at him with an intense flash of what could have been guilt. But quickly their face twisted into a snarl and they were looking back towards the darkness. Everything about them was tense and he could tell, he knew they were serious.

There was movement in the shadows and he could finally see who the voice belonged to! It was a little yellow flower! Much like the ones the king had given everyone to take care of! Except this one had a face; a very open and mocking smile.

"Oh please! Did you except everything to go the same way? Now that you broke the pattern yourself?"

"I told you: stay out of the way." The other kid said, their voice low and dangerous. Suddenly... he didn't feel as if it was another kid standing there half in front of him.

"Did you think you could scare me?! Your words! Lies!" There was rage on the other kid's face. He felt... scared. There was something around them, something he couldn't understand, they took a half step forward.

"You want to look into my eyes and tell me that I'm lying?" They growled.

Th-They really weren't just another kid standing i-in front of him. There was real heat coming off of them. If he was that flower, if he was the one that gaze was directed to- The other kid's eyes narrowed and they held out the umbrella, as if they were ready for a Fight to begin, as if they were willing to use it.

"Ha! Like you'd have the guts!"

"want to test me again...?" The other kid whispered coldly. It was even more terrifying, he was b-beginning to shake. And so was the flower... " **do you want to see if you'll come back this time**?"

To his relief... The flower disappeared beneath the earth and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, but then he was staring at the other kid with renewed terror as they lowered the umbrella and looked at him over their shoulder. He flinched, but as soon as he saw their eyes...

They looked just as shaken.

Their bottom lip was trembling even as they tried to keep their back straight. He wasn't... He wasn't sure what was going on, but something in his gut told him-

For a moment they had seemed big and scary, but still... they were still just a kid. Like him. And they were now trembling like one even if they weren't before.

"I'm sorry." They said softly, but not coldly like before. "I'm sorry if I s-scared you." He had to pause a moment, but it was soon decided.

"S'okay...? He scared you." They had that strange look on their face again, and he noticed that an arm had raised to almost... hug themself... as they nodded. "I won't tell anyone." He promised aloud. The other kid was quickly blushing.

"Yeah... Y-Yeah."

And later, when Undyne yelled at him, to "Stay away from that human!" He was entirely surprised. But he could see in the gleam of her eye behind her armored mask, the heat, the intent. But if they were a human... They'd protected him. They'd truly been scared, but they'd protected him.

He wasn't sure what happened. How it happened. But it came out of him, sure and mirroring her fierce tone-

"Stay away from my friend!" The fear rippled through him, surprised at his own actions but... it seemed right.

"Go **home**." She ordered darkly. But as she walked away, her armor clanking, his heart was racing... He couldn't... He couldn't go home. His little legs were racing him forward, his eyes searching.

He was scared, and Undyne was his hero! But... They were his friend.

And suddenly all their strange faces when he'd talked about Undyne made sense to him.

It was his responsibility as their friend... wasn't it?

To help them when they were scared.


	5. Dizzied

GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

*Blip*

GAAAAAAAAHHH!

*Blip*

Undyne's hands were reaching for their Soul as they fell to the ground. It shattered between her fingers. Almost as if to spite her.

"WHA- NO!"

*Blip*

GAAAAAAAAAHHH!

Undyne was bouncing impatiently.

She hated them! Hated them SO MUCH!

The only comfort she had was that they seemed just as frustrated with her. Their face was flushed red and they seemed super flustered. They were both getting tired. But Undyne was determined! Determined to end this!

"RIGHT... NOW!"

But it was so unsettling. This all felt... familiar. Somehow. Too familiar. As she thought anything, it was almost as if she had thought them before. It was dizzying.

And that feeling wasn't new. She'd had it all the while she had been chasing them. As if they had somehow eluded her before, and somehow she had always known they would continue to do so. There was this horrifying feeling she didn't acknowledge... That everything she was doing was futile. That it didn't matter. SHE REFUSED TO INDULGE THEM! SHE WOULD NEVER GIVE UP!

But the human! They moved like they knew what happened next. As if they didn't just have quick reflexes, but actually KNEW. What were they made of, seriously? REALLY WHAT WAS THIS HUMAN MADE OUT OF? They moved their sheild she had given them with ease and she could barely get a hit. At least they had for awhile. Now their luck seemed to run out in an instant. Thier teeth were gritted as Undyne got several good hits on them in a row. YES! YESS! They stood their ground, almost as if they WEREN'T a lousy coward. Almost as if their dropping HP wasn't something to worry about.

Well they should have worried-

Their Soul was her's!

It shattered, almost as if out of spite.

"WHAT- NO!"

*Blip*

Undyne stood expectantly from her spot above them. They had lead her to the perfect place for their battle. She had the hight ground. They could not escape!

The human stood there, gathering themself together, taking in deep, even breaths as Undyne glared.

"What are you waiting for?!" She shouted impatiently. They straightened up and turned back towards her. Their foot stomped down. Their eyes were serious. The Fight was beginning.

"En guarde!"

They swung at her forcefully, even if they missed...

So for all of that goody-two-shoes act they actually had a backbone when it came down to it. Way to show their true colours. They had hidden behind that child who didn't know better for too long. It enraged Undyne to think about. If somebody manipulated her friends- Undyne hit the ground with her fist. They **_had_** manipulated her friends though! Papyrus! God she hated them! She really HATED THEM. HATED THEM SO MUCH!

"For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending..." She raged. The human was twisting skillfully to block her attacks. "And now, sunlight is just within our reach!" They cut down through one of her spears, but she narrowed her eye as they got struck in the back. They screamed in pain. YES! "I won't let you snatch it away from us!"

Not again! Never agai- Again?

Yes! Again! Humanity! That was what she meant! Humanity would never take everything from them! Their hope! Their dreams!

This human risked ruining everything...

"But even if you could beat me..." Undyne felt a chill as their eyes met hers. "No human has EVER made it past ASGORE!" She hit them a few more times, they cried out, jerking in place. They seemed almost distraught. "Honestly, killing you now is an act of mercy...!

SPARE

"..." Sparing her now? What were they? Crazy? When she had said mercy she had not meant Mercy. "So STOP being so damn resilient!" The spears rained down upon them but somehow, they had stepped up their game to meet her. "What the hell are humans made out of?! Anyone else would be DEAD by now!"

The human flinched but they rose up. There was something like fire in their eyes. They seemed even more-

"Alphys told me humans were determined..." Undyne admitted. "I see now what she meant by that! But I'm determined, too!" She sent her new array of spears. "Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!"

The human finally swung their weapon purposefully; a torn notebook.

Undyne couldn't help but gasp as it struck her this time. She expected the intent, but somehow... It felt muted. It felt conflicted. Undyne's smile widened. Well... Undyne had the advantage then. She really meant it. She really was going to end this!

"RIGHT NOW!"

"...RIGHT... ... ... NOW!" Undyne was feeling drained, "Ha... Ha..."

The human lifted their head and Undyne's teeth clenched as she saw the manipulative tears in their eyes. They wiped at the bottom of their mouth with a sleeve as they panted. At least she had that-

"See how strong we are when we believe in ourselves?" They asked through staggered breaths.

Something caught inside Undyne's chest. She didn't know what. For a brief moment... She didn't feel at all confident. She felt the tiniest bit of fear she would never admit to. Of that notebook swinging down again- But she could see the fear in their eyes, too, despite what they had said.

"NGAHHHHH! DIE ALREADY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" They moved their sheild swiftly, something fierce in their movements. They turned back on her, but the notebook was nowhere in sight.

" **NOBODY'S DYING AGAIN**!" They screamed.

Wha-

FLEE

They were running under and past her. Undyne stood agape.

"HEY!" She was swiftly after them. She threw her green spear and they screamed in shock. "You won't get away from me this time!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Never... In the name of everyone's hopes and dreams... She would be victorious. She would defeat them!

SPARE

"I WILL NEVER TAKE MERCY FROM THE LIKES OF YOU!" She declared.

SPARE!

"YOU! WILL! NEVER! SPARE! ME!"

"... I know." Their voice cracked. Undyne eyed them curiously. "But if I did this once, I can do it again."

Undyne's eye twitched involuntarily. What was that supposed to mean?! But she couldn't demand an answer as they raced off again.

"..." Undyne put all of her strength into catching them. But something in her noticed, that, they didn't seem to actually believe in themself all that much. In fact. With the way they were acting, besides the swift blocks to her attacks, they seemed to be experimenting. Trying to get her tired and more tired. It just backfired since they were growing tired too. "You've escaped from me for the LAST time!"

But they were stronger than she thought. They kept it up, swift, and sure, and determined.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE PUNK!"

"STOP RUNNING AWAY!"

Undyne was thankful to whoever had called them on the phone, giving her the chance to catch her breath. They did too. But it was too soon done and they were racing off again, Undyne on their heels.

But! Ah! She had the advantage! She knew the terrain! Up ahead was Hotlands, but more importantly: A sentry station! They would be outnumbered. They would be-

They raced past the station at full speed and Undyne's eye focused sharply on the one who had let them breeze by.

Sans was sleeping... Undyne stopped short for a moment in surprise. The anger was rising-

THEY WERE SO CLOSE TO THE SURFACE! THE SUN! DID HE NOT CARE?! DID HE NOT GIVE A DAMN?! HOW COULD HE BE SLEEPING AT A TIME LIKE THIS?! WHO HIRED HIM?! WHO THINKS THIS IS A GOOD IDEA WHEN THE UNDERGROUND'S SECURITY WAS ON THE LINE?! HOW COULD HE SLEEP WHEN HE KNEW THERE WAS A HUMAN?! ARRRRGH!

But she had no chance to stop long, to wake him. She had to keep going. And the worse part of it all was that now she had to face Hotlands. Already tired enough as it is! SHE HATED HOTLANDS! When she came back, she'd have a serious bone to pick- NO! She would- Would... She was dying, but she couldn't stop... It was. So hot. So...

The human had skid to a stop, sliding along the orange ground of Hotland like a baseball player reaching Home. Undyne had them! As long as she.. As long as... she...

"Armor... so... hot..." She was... was suffocating in her own armor. "But I can't... Give up.." She had to keep... going...

The human was lifting their head, panting heavily still.. They were right... there... Right...!

Undyne let out a weak breath as she collapsed.

Everything went dark.

...

..

.

Something cold was washing over her face and Undyne- Undyne was bouncing up, alarm and whatever magic she had left racing through her as her eye opened wide. She had to stop, though. She felt dizzy for a second. Like she might pass out again. Her mind was collecting the pieces, orienting itself. And soon she was focusing on the human across from her.

They looked absolutely terrified. Undyne snarled. She was going to rip- She had another dizzy spell and she breathed in sharply. The human had coward and there had been the sound of something crinkling. Undyne's eye caught sight of the cup in their hand, snapped at the sides as they seemed to hold their breath.

All the time they had took to get her worn down and out for the count and they had... They'd...

Her mind was so foggy but it was connecting the dots.

Collapsing. Water. Cup.

It didn't... make sense.

But she couldn't face them anymore. Not like this. She had to retreat. Recollect herself and then later.. she'd come after them. Yeah... She'd...

She had to turn, taking a few shakey steps away from them.

She was just too out of it. This didn't make sense. There had to be another explaination as to what had happened. Another plan on their part-

They were just taunting her. Manipulating her too.

But it wouldn't work. She'd rebound and come after them later. Yeah... Right. Rest up, regroup. Then kick their butt.

Undybe stumbled away and back into the relief of Waterfall, the air cool and wonderous. She didn't even notice Sans' station.

As she walked by, a single, lazy eye opened and peeked over towards the bridge... Towards where the human stood looking at the melting cup in their hands uncertainly. As if for once, they too had run into something new.


	6. Panicked

It wasn't w-wrong, what she was doing. Alphys was even helping them! If The Human d-didn't know the truth, then it couldn't hurt the girl. I-Ignorance was bliss. Right?

In her heart, Alphys knew that was another a lie. A lie she told herself to make her feel better and to tolerate the stress of it all. If she convinced herself it was all for someone else's benefit and not hers. Or at least... not just hers...

The Human was just having so much fun. Alphys was just having so much fun... She hadn't felt this good in a very long time. Not since she first got her job as the Royal Scientist.

But all of that had been built on a lie, too.

And now The Human was figuring that out. And there was nothing Alphys could do about it but hold her breath.

Alphys had seen The Human come out of the junk shop Bratty and Catty ran through the cameras. The Human had began to make her way back the way she had came, something in her hands and determination in her step. The Human seemed to be excited. Like she had had a sudden idea or revelation. And that revelation, Alphys soon learned, was where a certain key belonged. The Human had raced all the way back to Waterfall, and Alphys watched, the camera the scientist had set up specifically to keep an eye out for Mettaton's old home, for security, now let Alphys watch with an intense sense of dread. The Human was gone for a considerably long time... Alphys couldn't dream what she could possibly be doing.

The Human emerged, her head down, the excitement cut short.

Alphys felt herself sputter. As if she could talk to The Human through the screen. She could see The Human piecing things together, or already had, and all Alphys had gained was slipping through her fingers. Her first lie was out in the open and the rest could soon tumble out of control. But- Somehow... Something stirred in Alphys' chest. Like she wanted them to.

Lying had been... so... stressful.

But with the lies tumbling away, so would everything in her life. Alphys didn't think she could live with it all.

B-But... E-Even if The Human knew about Mettaton not being an actual robot, that she hadn't c-created a Soul, it wasn't that big of a deal. The Human was still going to leav-

Oh all of this was such a mess!

But Alphys just had to keep going through with her plans. This didn't change everything else. This-

*Ring Ring...

Alphys nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't been paying enough attention to the screen in her panic. The Human had her phone in her hands.

Alphys was fumbling around the Lab, not wanting to answer. Sweating and panicking and her heart racing. She didn't end up answering.

*Ring Ring.

The phone rang again.

And again.

And again.

It was the letters all over again. Constant. Knowing. The Human on the screen, if the girl had been weighed down before was now growing visibly upset. Furious, even. The Human looked directly at Alphys through the screen, as if the girl knew where the camera lay hidden. Her eyes were pointed and piercing. The phone rang.

"Answer the phone!" Alphys saw her say. Alphys couldn't read lips, but what else would she be yelling.

The Human turned away from the camera and stormed forward. Alphy's stomach dropped in realization that if she didn't answer the phone, The Human would come all the way there.

"H-Hello." Alphys began, trying to sound absolutely, positively normal. No lies here.

"You lied!" The Human nearly yelled. The Human came to an abrupt stop on the screen, and the anger seeped out into what sounded a lot like pain. Her voice had cracked. "You lied about _everything_!"

"W-Well, n-not, I, u-uh-"

"I-!" The Human continued. "The Soul thing being fake makes sense, that all makes sense! But-!" The Human had both hands on the phone. One pressing it tightly to their ear and the other at the base of it. Alphys was still panicking, but she was frozen at realizing that The Human was not as much angry, but scared. "I could have killed him!" They shouted now. "I could have really killed him! If he was just a robot you could repair him! If he was just a robot I wasn't really hurting anybody! I COULD HAVE KILLED HIM! REALLY KILLED HIM!" The Human stopped, seeming to have difficulty breathing. More than just... difficulty. The hand on the base of the phone lowered and The Human pressed it against her chest. She was... She was having her own panic attack. Everything was slipping.. tumbling...

"H-H-Hey!" Alphys jumped in, not knowing what to do.

"What would have happened to you?" The Human said with a large gulp of air, her voice deepening with an intense sob in the back of her throat. "If I'd killed him, what would you have happened to you?"

Alphys... Alphys found herself paling at the very thought... But how The Human had jumped to that train of thought she didn't know and put her even more at unease. Someone that small... shouldn't be having panic attacks. Someone that small shouldn't be...

"I could have killed him!" The Human cried again. "I can't..."

"I-It's okay! Y-You wouldn't ha-have killed him!"

"But I would have!" They sobbed. "If the Fight hadn't ended when it did, I would have-! And I wouldn't have realized it! I wouldn't have gone ba-!"

"Hey!" Alphys tried again desperately. "Those Fights weren't even Fights!" Alphys covered her mouth in horror as the words registered but The Human didn't seem to react any more worsley to it. The Human was shaking, their breathing through the phone uneven and sharp.

"You should have never lied to me about anything." The Human told her. "You should have never lied-"

Someone that small shouldn't be lied to and manipulated like she had been.

Alphys felt like she was being crushed by a thousand bricks and she deserved it. Her mouth was open but her words were gone and she watched the screen sadly.

"And the Soul.." The Human continued and Alphys panicked before she remembered that The Human was referring to Mettaton's Soul. "There goes half of my options-! My plans!" Alphys blinked.

"W-Wha-What?" The Human pressed the phone to her forehead. Cringing as she took in deep breaths.

"What am I going to do?" She asked, but Alphys felt like it wasn't meant for her. "What am I going to do?" She took in another deep breath but as soon as she spoke, her voice broke again into a cry. "It's all going to end the same..!"


	7. Believed

Author's notes: Longest chapter so far. Still not long. But I honestly didn't anticipate writing this today. But in my procrastination of other things, it did.

* * *

Papyrus stood expectantly in front of Undyne's, excited, anxious, and honestly a bit terrified. The Human and Undyne would be the bestest of friends! He knew it! They were both confident and strong! And also HIS friend! He knew they could! He believed!

His phone rang and excitedly Papyrus brought it out. There was The Human now!

"HELLO! HUMAN-!"

"Where are you?" Papyrus stopped short in surprise at the broken sound of their voice. "Papyrus.. where are you?" He glanced over towards Undyne's house hesitantly. It would not do good to have them hang out while the human was crying.

"I.. I AM AT UNDYNE'S HOUSE. IN WATERFALL. WHAT IS WRONG-?" The line went dead. Papyrus stood anxiously, a bead of inexplicable sweat tracing along the side of his forehead a he wrung the fabric of his gloves along his wrists. The Human appeared only a minute or two later and when their eyes caught sight of him their face broke out desperately, their teeth gritted their eyes wide, as they raced across the lawn, and before he knew it, The Human was lifting their hands up and jumping. He caught them and they buried their face in his scarf. They were shaking.

It was clear that they had not come for Undyne...

"HUMAN? WHAT IS WRONG? ARE YOU HURT?" They shook their head and held his neck tighter. "HUMAN-?"

"I'm sorry. I just... n-need a moment." They said through staggered breaths. They lifted their head and wiped at the bottom of their eyes. "N-Nobody hurt me." They told him. That did nothing to relieve his anxiety over the situation. "I was just.. scared." They admitted. They took another deep breath and closed their eyes, trying to regain themself. It did not seem to be working. They were still scared.

"WELL! WHATEVER IS FRIGHTENING YOU, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS SURE TO PROTECT YOU FROM IT!" They shook their head again and Papyrus wished that they would at least smile that knowing smile. As if they knew better than him but it was okay, they appreciated his thoughts anyways. But they didn't. They didn't look knowing at all. Or at least, if they did know, that was what was scaring them.

"Can you put me down?" They asked, trying to pull away.

"I THINK NOT." Papyrus informed them. "NO."

"No?" They breathed, seemingly amused even despite whatever else they were feeling, and Papyrus felt slightly better for it.

"NO." He repeated triumphantly. "NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!" Their face fell and they watched him with an unreadable expression. But he could see the thoughts racing through their mind, the hard debate with themself. They wanted to, he realized. They really wanted to tell. To tell anyone.

All that knowing that they knew.

"I can't." They told him, their voice breaking again a bit sadly. "You wouldn't understand."

"AS YOUR FRIEND I COULD TRY TO UNDERSTAND! AND EVEN IF IN THE END, I CAN'T, AT LEAST I CAN STILL BE THERE FOR YOU! LIKE SANS! HE DOES NOT TELL ME A LOT OF THINGS BUT WHEN HE DOES I DO MY BEST TO BE THERE! EVEN IF HE DOESN'T TELL ME.. MUCH OF ANYTHING."

"Sans..." They repeated absently, looking off to the side, into the shadows. They still had their arms wrapped around his neck; their fingers interlaced. After a brief moment of silence, Papyrus adjusted his grip on them and grunted uncomfortably. He wasn't one for long silences.

"IF THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN'T BE THERE FOR HIS FRIENDS WHAT IS THE POINT OF HIM BEING THEIR FRIEND?" They looked up, clearly hurt. He had not meant to hurt them. "I KNOW! LET US GO TO UNDYNE!" He tried. "MAKING A NEW FRIEND IS SURELY THE BEST WAY TO LIFT YOUR SPIRITS! IT DID MINE AFTER MY CRUSHING DEFEAT!"

"We didn't even fight.." The Human remembered with a tiny smile.

"EVEN MORE CRUSHING!" They snorted. "BUT ALSO SUCH A WONDROUS VICTORY! NOW! LET US GO MEET UNDYNE!"

"Papyrus.." They begged and he stopped in the single step he had managed to take. "I don't..." They looked too sheepish. For all that The Human had been confident in making friends with him, they didn't seem so sure with Undyne. "I think she'd rather die than be my friend..." Something in the way they said that was on the verge of devastated.

"NONSENSE!"

"... I think Sans would too..."

"WHAT?!" Papyrus was absolutely bewildered. "MY BROTHER KNOWS AND IS FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE! IT IS QUITE A TALL FEAT FOR SOMEONE SO LAZY!" They gave him another broken, but this time knowing, smile. "AND SO SHORT." He added for good measure. Their smile widen despite themself. But they still look entirely unassured. This was such a drastic contrast to the bright and radiant child who had ensnared him. "COME! LET US TRY UNDYNE! AND THEN YOU WILL SEE!"

"Papyrus..." He stopped after yet another failed step. "... Can you be friends with someone you've killed?"

If Papyrus had blood, it would have run cold. He was frozen, looking ahead at the closed door of Undyne's house. He had heard her earlier. She had been playing piano, rather aggressively, sounding somewhat upset by something. That had been Undyne, hadn't it? What were they... What were they saying?

"Say... Say somebody had the power to... to travel through time? Say she could do the s-same events over and over. The same battles. Fights. Until she got it r-right." Papyrus' mind was reeling as he looked back down at them.

The knowing. The confusion. Just like the daily horoscope.

"B-But say she... ran into what seemed to be a ru.. ruthless killer? She was dying. And dying. And..." Papyrus grip on them tightened. "And what if, to defend herself, she finally... struck her opponent down? Because her opponent wouldn't give up? Wouldn't stop chasing? Wouldn't accept Mercy? No matter how much I... She beat her down. And I..." They reluctantly met his wide gaze. The tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I've killed Undyne, Papyrus. I d-didn't run far enough. I.. I fought back. B-But she w-wouldn't... She'd rather be dead than be my friend! Even after she hit zero HP! She... It was self-defense I reasoned. Self... But I still felt so awful! I cried for forever!"

"B-BUT..." Papyrus' mind was spinning. The Human nodded.

"But I took it back." She said, but that was not exactly what Papyrus was going to say. He wasn't sure what he was going to say. "I made it t-two feet and then you called! Y-You said we could be friends! And I! I didn't want to disappoint you! And if... I had an obligation to try again, right? Since I'm the one in control. So I took it back! I tried again! And I ran a little farther, and I-! It was luck, Papyrus! Luck! I was lucky I could figure out how to replicate it this time around!" The Human kept wiping at her face but she couldn't keep up with the tears. "I was an idiot to come back and think I could change something else on top of it!"

"I... I DO NOT UNDERSTAND." Papyrus admitted, hating that he had to prove her right. He did not understand. She could travel through time? He believed them- her, but... "YOU MISSED ME." He realized.

It had not just been Undyne she had taken back. This was... And then something struck him solid.

"HAVE I... HAVE I KILLED YOU?" He asked, terrified. But The Human was shaking her head quickly, several times.

"No. No, no, no." Papyrus felt a little better but not by much.

"BUT YOU HAVE DIED, TOO?" She didn't respond. He could read the answer yes. "I STILL... DO NOT UNDERSTAND." He admitted. He was a very many things at the moment: confused, sick, dizzy, and everything conflicted.

"Put me down, Papyrus..." They whispered and reluctantly he obeyed. She crouched down onto the ground and he sat down beside her. "I can control time." She explained. She drew a line in the mud. A long single line. "Since I fell down into the Underground. I can Save at certain points." She put slashes along the single line. "So I don't have to go back all the way to the beginning. Or I can do something called Reset which by passes those and takes me back to the beginning. All the way back." She pointed to the farthest end of the line. " And then everyone forgets. But.. I have only done that once."

She had missed him, she had said...

"SO... WE WERE FRIENDS... AND THEN WE WERE NOT." The Human flinched.

"I had to go back... All the way back. I didn't..." She sighed and put a hand against her forehead. "I left. And... you were... right. The King.. he is nice. He was going to let me leave... But he died. Somebody else didn't want me to. Because he had had the power to travel through time before me. He wanted to keep it as a game. And I... No matter what I did, I couldn't save the King! And... And I just! I left. I let it go, I had to. But I've... I've been thinking it over. So many ideas. Things I could do different! And I..."

"YOU CAME BACK."

"I came back." She said with a nod. "But it's all going to be the same!" She cried. "It's all going to end the same. I don't have anything! I can't change anything!"

"... WHO WAS IT THAT STOPPED YOU FROM LEAVING? PERHAPS.. PERHAPS YOU CAN TALK TO HIM! PERHAPS IT IS NOT AS POINTLESS AS YOU THINK! MAYBE.. HE JUST WANTED YOU TO PROMISE TO COME BACK AND VISIT! THAT IS WHAT I WOULD WANT! I ALWAYS SAY GOODBYES ARE NOT ALLOWED, ONLY SEE YOU LATERS! SO PERHAPS-"

"Flowey." Papyrus was smiling. That made sense! Flowey was always just as frustrating as the morning horoscope as well.

"OH! YOU KNOW FLOWEY, TOO? WELL THEN! IT IS CERTAIN YOU CAN GET THROUGH TO HIM! HE IS A FANTASTIC FRIEND!" The Human was shaking her head again.

"Papyrus, Papyrus... You can't trust him! You can't! He thinks it is kill or be killed! He's a liar!

"BUT.. HE IS MY FRIEND!"

"You can't trust him. You trust me, don't you? Listen to me-"

"I WANT TO TRUST BOTH OF YOU!" Papyrus told her. But he was also thinking about Undyne again. He wanted them to be friends too. To get along. And it seemed harder than he had anticipated. But still... He believed! The Human sighed... They didn't seem to have the energy to argue with him. That was... a very familiar gesture. "DOES... DOES SANS KNOW?" The Human's eyes widened and she met his gaze again before looking away...

"I think so..."

"..."

"..."

"I AM GLAD YOU TOLD ME ALL OF THIS. I AM GLAD THAT YOU FELT YOU COULD TRUST ME ENOUGH TO TELL ME."

"I haven't decided if I'm going to let you remember." There was something hurt that fluttered in his ribcage.

"OH."

There was silence as he stared ahead into the darkness.

"Let you..." She whispered. She looked up again, giving him a broken smile. "I guess I'm just as bad as Flowey in the end."

There was another round of downtrodden silence as she lowered her head.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE... THAT IT IS POINTLESS." Papyrus said finally. She didn't look up, her arms tight around her legs. "YOU SAID YOU DID NOT SEE A WAY TO STOP UNDYNE, BUT IN THE END YOU DID. EVEN IF YOU SAY IT WAS LUCK. YOU DID IT. BECAUSE YOU TRIED. SO... IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE, WISH TO CHANGE THIS TOO, I BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! JUST LIKE I KNOW YOU CAN BE FRIENDS WITH UNDYNE! YOU JUST HAVE TO TRY!"

"It's not that simple-"

"TRY YOUR HARDEST! THAT IS ALL YOU CAN DO!" He put a hand on her back and when she looked up there were tears again in the back of her eyes. "I JUST HOPE THAT.. YOU WILL LET ME BE THERE FOR YOU WHILE YOU DO!" He told her. Her breath shuddered as she let go of her legs and leaned in so she could hug him. He held her tightly.

"Okay.." She cried softly. "Okay. I'm sorry..."

"NYEH HEH.. THERE IS NOTHING TO FORGIVE!" The Human seemed to want to say something else, but was cut short by the sound of an opening door.

"OH! There you are Papyrus! I was about to go looking for your boney bu-" Undyne also stopped short. The Human and Papyrus had pulled away from each other though their arms still remained wrapped around. Undyne's eye was entirely murderous. **"What. Is. This?"**

"A HUGGING PARTY! DO YOU CARE TO JOIN?!" Papyrus asked, reaching an arm out for her. If looks could kill... But it wasn't being directed at him anymore. Papyrus felt The Human tense. "AH- MAYBE YOU WOULD CARE TOO LATER." Papyrus looked down at The Human, giving her an encouraging smile. "IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRY AGAIN LATER, RIGHT?" The Human hesitated but then nodded for him. Papyrus' Soul soared.

They were all at least going to try. Even Undyne, she just didn't know it yet. Papyrus believed.


	8. Bested

She'd _really_ messed this up...

She should have never let Papyrus manipulate her into agreeing to this challenge; of befriending The Human. She should have never let The Human into her house to begin with. In FACT she should have killed them right there! At the door! Despite Papyrus! If The Human hadn't entered her house, they wouldn't have been her guest and she would never have gotten carried away.

But as it was...

Everything was in shambles.

Her house was in flames.

Her pride.. unsalvageable.

The Hangout hadn't STARTED out so horrible. Not that it ever felt like it was going WELL either though. Papyrus had left (via the now BROKEN window), and Undyne had sworn to herself that she would show him! And the pipsqueak! She would show both of them! Undyne would not be bested like this! She'd show THEM who couldn't make friends!

But she really couldn't make friends...

The Human had drank the tea in silence at first as Undyne had spoke.

Somewhere.. ugh! Somewhere, Undyne had even begun to let her guard down! Somewhere between Papyrus jumping through the window (and The Human had laughed, actually laughed. It was warm and sweet...) and them flirting with her as they were offered their drinks (even as Undyne could see their arms trembling as they pointed the blue spear towards her, unsure it was a good idea but clearly needing a distraction. Trying to keep up momentum. Trying to play along). And Undyne had just started talking! And it all just!

But she had talked about... Asgore.

That's where it all started to go down hill, wasn't it? With Asgore?

The Human had tensed, holding the teacup too tightly between their fingers.

(Collapsing. Water. Cup.)

Undyne should have talked about something else.

No! She shouldn't have talked about anything! THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED! ANY OF IT. She had let herself be beguiled and tricked into giving in to them!

And now everything was on fire! Undyne's pride was utterly destroyed!

But at least... At least! Now that everything had fallen through.. Undyne could correct it. Undyne could make it right... If they weren't her house guest... Then there was no more reason not to FIGHT!

Undyne growled, rolling her shoulders as she waited for The Human to take their turn. Rolling them as if that physical action could get this creeping feeling off of her. This... This doubt..

"Come ON!" Undyne ordered. "Hit me with everything you've got!"

The heat of battle was what Undyne needed (though perhaps not this literally, she supposed). But she needed the adrenaline, the clashing of intent. She had let her guard down and she had played into the uncertainty despite knowing she shouldn't. But as soon as she felt it again, that intent! She could fight back! There would be no doubt! They just needed to swing.

But they weren't.

The Human stood across from her... trembling. Gulping, actually. Gulping for air and Undyne realized they were crying. They said something but Undyne couldn't hear it over the crackling flames.

SPARE

"What?" Undyne raged, insulted even. "NO! We're doing this! You've avoided taking this confrontation serious for too long!"

But... hadn't she just told them that they reminded her so much of Asgore...? Of Papyrus..?

Hadn't she-

Undyne could see that The Human wanted to run but had nowhere to go, Undyne blocked the way...

The flames were growing hotter, the air thick, Undyne could feel her scales drying out-

The Human closed their eyes, Undyne's stomach turned as she was hit with an incredibly dizzy sensation as the world seemed to blip-

But whatever it was soon passed and The Human gasped loudly in front of her.

"Papyrus." They breathed in horror, as if realizing something. But as they breathed in, they began to cough violently from the smoke they had inhaled. Undyne looked quickly over her shoulder, expecting to see the skeleton, but he was nowhere in sight. Undyne turned back towards The Human angrily.

Had they... tried to trick her, so they could run past? But in the end they had only sabotaged themself by not taking care in breathing in the air and smoke around them. More tears were streaming down The Human's cheeks, some of it crying, some of it from the smoke. Undyne felt the slightest pang of guilt, but ONLY the slightest.

But The Human's eyes were now frantic, looking, Undyne could see them thinking, trying to find a way around this. The Human closed their eyes again and brought out.. a frying pan.

Finally...

The Fight.

The Human screamed and Undyne jumped in honest shock as they charged her, swinging the pan forcefully to let it fly through the air. Undyne staggered as it struck her directly in the face and needed a moment to collect herself.

To understand the several sensations racing through her.

But The Human wasn't waiting around for her to do that. The Human was racing past her as Undyne caught her footing, and they were headed to the door, and out...

Undyne stared at the open door, and as the shock worked itself out she laughed...They'd-! She'd...

The intent Undyne had been counting on to help spur her forward... hadn't been there one bit. The intent to hurt her... just wasn't there. Even after everything Undyne had done, they just couldn't bring themself to hurt her. They'd once again found a way around it.

The uncertainty in Undyne's chest had given way to something giddy and Undyne was smiling helplessly. Relief, she realized. She was feeling an intense sense of relief.

If they couldn't bring themself to hurt Undyne, then... it was doubtful they would be able to bring themself to hurt anybody. And if that was true then... Then there was no need for Undyne to Fight them, to protect everyone from them. And thank goodness, because... she didn't want... Undyne didn't want to hurt them anymore, either.

"HUMAN!" Undyne called as she raced out of the flaming house. The fresh air was sweet and she took several large gulps. She had not even realized how much the flames and smoke had been affecting her as well.

But it had obviously been worse for The Human. What with all their crying.

Undyne let herself acknowledge that she did indeed feel something that was a bit _more_ than just a pang of guilt.

"Human!" Undyne coughed as she raced ahead, away from the house.

The Human hadn't made it far before collapsing onto their hands and knees, struggling to breathe. But even so, they looked like they were still trying to crawl.

"Human!" The Human jumped, panic helping them move faster across the ground. Undyne could see herself, back when she had been chasing them to Hotlands; stuck in her armor but still so determined to get them. To just get to them!

But their determination came from the need to get away...

To not have to hurt her...

"Hey!" Undyne grabbed them by the shoulders from behind and The Human squealed in terror, "No! Hey, punk, no! It's okay!" Undyne said through her own series of coughs. The Human thrashed in her grasp but Undyne pulled them closer. She held them against her tightly as they continued to struggle. "Stop! It's okay!" She tried again. "I'm not going to hurt- I'm not going to hurt you. Hey!"

The Human stopped kicking and trying to elbow her as Undyne secured her grip on them, draping an arm across their chest as she put a hand on the top of their head as it rested against her and they continued to breathe in, frantic and uneven.

"It's okay." Undyne kept repeating into their ear. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay."

The Human let out a loud sob, shaking against her as they crumbled in her arms with what Undyne would call relief, but she suspected that... that word was not strong enough to describe whatever it was they were truly feeling.

"It's okay..." Undyne said softly this time. "It's okay... I'm not going to hurt you... A-Afterall.. I can't hurt my new bestie, right?"

The Human lifted their arms and buried their face in their hands as Undyne continued to hold them in a tight hug.

"It's okay... I'm sorry, punk... It's okay..."

It's okay.


	9. Conflicted

Sans still wasn't entirely sure what to make of the kid but he'd give her this... She was something alright. Cuz man had he never in a million years expected to ever have Undyne show up on his and Papyrus' door step, carrying The Human. Who had apparently passed out in her arms, absolutely exhausted. Undyne had been exhausted too and while Papyrus had tucked the kid into his bed, Undyne had crashed on the couch despite the fact that she loathed it with an undying passion on any other occasion. It had jangled beneath her with all the coins and she had let out the loudest groan before passing out herself; mumbling something about Papyrus and this punk but also something about a fire. Which Sans figured had to be the reason for her and the kid's condition. They sure as hell smelled like it.

Soon he had learned a bit more about what had happened.

But the thing that surprised Sans the most remained: the kid had truly gotten Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard, to befriend her.

She had gotten Papyrus to back down from their fight. She had gotten past Undyne. She had gotten Undyne to accept her. She had made Sans feel...

Well, he still wasn't entirely sure what to make of her. He wasn't.

But she was at it again, making her way through Hotlands. He had just seen her pass his illegal hot dog stand, but she hasn't seemed to see him.

Well, she'd looked at him. Played along. But her thoughts had seemed unfocused. Her mind had been somewhere else.

Understandably.

But Sans felt like he had something important to say. He wasnt sure what, but... it was there. Something was just nagging him.

"hey. i heard you're going to the core. how 'bout grabbing some dinner with me first?" The girl shrugged, not looking him in the eyes but at her very interesting shoelaces. "great. thanks for treating me."

She came after him through his short cut, not having taken the time to Save.

Sans had noticed... She had been doing that less and less. He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. If it meant her confidence was up on its own or... Or if... It had fallen a bit through on her. Her stance said...

Well it said some very conflicting things.

But perhaps that was because.. she herself was conflicted.

She'd done the impossible with Undyne, but that meant nothing with.. what was coming.

The end of her journey. She'd had almost made it. Again.

"you must really wanna go home." Sans stated, but his voice wasn't fully into it. Both of them knew there was a lot more going on. This wasn't just a scared child working her way to get back to where she had come from. She had gotten to the surface before. No, there was something. Something she had come back for.

"though... maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you."

She head lowered, her fingers were gripping tightly together.

"is what you have to do.. really worth it?"

She flinched.

No. It hadn't been. That was why she'd come back. But now that they were there... she seemed lost.

Sans chuckled emptily.

"ah, forget it." He said. "I'm rootin' for ya, kid."

That only seemed to tear up at them more. The distress was evident. It yanked on his Soul painfully. And Sans realized... what it was he had wanted to say. Why it was so important.

"hey. let me tell you a story."

She looked up uncertainly but offered him her saddened attention.

Ah. She knew, well she thought she knew, what he was going to say.

And for the most part, she did. About the door to the Ruins. The old lady. A promise...

Sans hesitated and he could see the pain slipping into her darkening expression even as she tried to hide it.

"ya know," Sans began again, "that thing you asked me? at grillby's? about... killing to protect?" She looked up finally, her eyes alert. Yes, she remembered. The question was part of what seemed to be consuming her mind. And Soul. Chipping away at her determination...

"well... if it weren't for that promise, if the old lady hadn't said anything, you know what would have happened? you'd.. you'd be dead where you stand."

To protect Papyrus. To protect against the anomaly taking one step further...

"so yeah. i think it is alright to kill to protect. at least i thought." He hesitated, the expression on her face.. he couldn't read it. It was a tearing mixture of too many things. And Sans found he couldn't just leave it at that. Because.. "but getting to know you, i'm glad i didn't."

Her eyes widened briefly in surprise even more, her lips parted in an o. "and i'm.. sorry. that dilemma was taken from me. i'm sorry i can't take it from you. but just that you.. know; i really am rooting for you. and also that you need to take care of yourself." He met their gaze for the first time in minutes as he gave her a half-hearted shrug. "alotta somebodies really care about you."

And maybe.. even... Sans.

Her face did not flood with reassurance or warmth like Sans had anticipated but instead there was a wave of pain in her features. As if some new problem had settled on her shoulders as the tears gathered in her eyes.

Sans smiled apologetically.

But what more could he tell her?

What did she _need_ him to tell her?

He just wished he could say.. it was okay.

But he really didn't think it was.

He didn't think she thought it was...

He just wished... he could think of something more to say.

But there was a reason nobody ever gave straight answers. There simply weren't any.


	10. Rushed

O-Oh, oh, oh oh! All of this had gotten out of h-hand. The door had locked and Alphys' frantic claws were fumbling uselessly trying to get it opened. Her frantic mind was making it difficult to think. She couldn't see a thing of what was going on inside! And no matter how much she repeated to herself that it was alright, it was alright, alright, she just couldn't seem to fully believe it. Ever since The Human and her had had their argument, everything seemed to have tumbled out of her already limited control.

She had just wanted to help, somebody... Maybe mostly herself... but not _just_ herself!

Alphys finally managed to open up the lock and the relief rippled through her as she regained the ability to breath properly. She even smiled.

"I... I managed to open the lock!" She called to the others inside as she pushed the door. She could see The Human, their shoulders tense as they kept their back towards her. "Are you two..."

Everything seemed to stop in an instant. Alphys' gut filled with ice.

Mettaton lay in pieces in front of her and the terror pierced through her like a thorn.

"Oh my god."

Alphys raced forward, her heart started up again and racing faster than her feet.

"Mettaton! Mettaton, are you..."

He couldn't be gone, he couldn't, couldn't! C-Couldn't..!

 _"I could have killed him!"_ The Human had cried, seeming upset. But... But..! After all the gross things Alphys had done-

 _"You should have never lied to me about anything. You should have never lied-"_

Alphys should have never lied! Never put him in harms' way! Them in harms way- Oh my- Oh my- This was punishment, her punishment for-

As intensely as the panic, the newfound relief flooded her.

"... thank GOD..." She turned halfway towards The Human but daring not to look her in the face. "it's just the batteries." Alphys breathed out and turned her attention back towards her resting friend. "Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have... I would have..." Alphys froze again, her mind picking up another part of the memory.

 _"What would have happened to you?"_

Alphys glanced over towards The Human again.

 _"If I had killed him, what would have happened to you?"_

The Human's face was masked over in darkness, their head down and their bangs hiding their expression. She could just make out their thinly pressed lips, their tense stance.

If Mettaton was gone... Alphys wouldn't have been able to live with herself. Not just because of the secrets, and the sudden lack of support, but... the guilt. If this had turned out badly... It would have been her fault.

Her lies... could have gotten either of her friends killed... or... or she guessed she couldn't call The Human her friend, really. Not after everything. Would Mettaton even want to after all of this? She... She just... Oh...

Alphys looked away, staring at the wall ahead of her though she could see both Mettaton and The Human on the edges of her vision.

"Why don't you go on ahead?" She said weakly. The Human walked forward but hesitated. The Human turned towards her and although Alphys still couldn't see her full darkened expression, their mouth opened but then closed again. "I... I just need a moment." Alphys stated.

The Human left her through the hall that lead to the elevator. Alphys took a deep breath, letting herself gather her composure as best as possible. But then she realized... It wouldn't matter how many minutes she gave herself. She would never be ready. So she best go now.

"S... Sorry about that!" Alphys exclaimed as convincingly as she could. "L-let's k-keep going!"

The Human didn't even look at her when she obeyed. Alphys' heart fluttered, she tried to think of something to say.

"S-so you're about to meet the Asgore, h-huh? You must be... Y-You must be... Pr.. pretty excited about all that, huh?"

The anxiety was twisting her in the inside, the... the lie she knew she was still letting slip by unspoken...

"You'll f-f-finally... You'll finally get to go home!" She could see the shoulders tense even more, almost protectively around The Human's neck. The Human's fingers were balled into tight fists to steady herself. Alphys' stomach dropped again.

The Human already knew the truth...

Alphys stopped following, she let her head drop in shame. The Human kept going for a moment before noticing her. The Human turned around, but Alphys couldn't dare to meet her eyes.

"N... No... No." The silence sat there between them, Alphys knew The Human was waiting for more. "I... I've been lying to y-you. St-Still. N-Not just ab-about Mettaton, b-but... Asgore. The Barrier."

The Human didn't move, Alphys now knew for certain that she had already known that. But Alphys owed it to at least now make it clear. Alphys turned away from The Human. They probably hated her for forever now, if they hadn't already.

"A human Soul isn't strong enough to cross the Barrier by itself. It takes a human Soul... And a monster Soul..." Alphys forced herself to face them and look up. But still their eyes were hidden from her. "If you want to go home... You'll have to take his soul. You'll have to kill Asgore."

They stood together in silence one last time... Alphys sighed and closed her eyes. Then, she turned around and slowly began to walk away, fighting the tears in her eyes.

All of this had gone wrong. So wrong, but how could she have thought it would do anything but that when she had started? For someone who was supposed to be so smart, she made the stupidest mistakes.

She had just been trying to help them... but... no. No she hadn't. She had. She hadn't- She-

"I'm sorry." Alphys whispered. Two smaller arms wrapped around her from behind and Alphys jumped, gasping in shock as her heart began to race again. "Y-You... You...?"

"Shut up..." The Human mumbled. Alphys obeyed, staring ahead with wide eyes.

The silence stretched on, but finally...

"I was... so _angry_ with you for a long time. I'm still angry." The Human admitted. "I'm just so, so angry." Alphys felt The Human's breath shutter, as if she had momentarily edged towards starting to cry but then had regained herself. Their arms tightened around Alphys, as if they were afraid she would still somehow slip away. "But I don't want to leave it like that."

Alphys opened her mouth to speak but then shut it, still uncertain of what to make of this nor if she wasn't allowed to speak still. "..."

"You should have never lied, about any of this, but... I understand." The Human continued. "I know something else is bothering you, but you don't seem to be able to say it. You think you have to handle everything alone. That its impossible to make any of this right."

Alphys' heart lurched, pained at how honest that was. At how impossible that should have been. The Human couldn't have been... She couldn't have been more than ten. She shouldn't have been able to understand any of this.

"I'm angry... but I don't want you to beat yourself up about it too much. There is nothing to be done about it. Half of it isn't your fault... even though you shouldn't have lied." The Human began to release Alphys and took a step back. Alphys slowly turned towards her, still unnerved by how somber the child was but also still listening intently. The Human still had her eyes cast downwards. "I'm angry... and.. I wish I had time to stay and make it so I'm not angry anymore, but..." The Human seemed to have to force herself to lift her face. For the first time since unlocking the door, Alphys could see just how scared The Human actually was. "But promise me, y-you'll take care of yourself, okay?" The Human was smiling, trying her hardest to make her words as honest as possible. "Somebody... really cares about you."

Alphys stood wide-eyed and open mouthed but The Human turned away, anxious to get away before anything more could be said. It seemed to have taken a lot out of her to say all of that. It was too open. Too personal. Like an open wound she had willingly shown Alphys and applied something stinging to it. It was something The Human had not been ready to do, letting Alphys off of the hook as best she could.. But at the same time... She had cared enough to try, knowing it was the only chance she would have to do it.

The elevator door shut, cutting Alphys off from The Human and the tears were building up in the back of her eyes again. Alphys blinked and blinked, and she walked down the hall trying not to simply burst into tears.

She sat down beside Mettaton's powered down husk and fiddled with a piece of scrap between her claws as she took in deep, uneven breaths and tried to keep herself from falling to pieces herself.


	11. Caged

"Have you heard?"

"Did you hear?!"

"I saw it in Snowdin..."

"I heard from someone who saw it in Snowdin.."

"My cousins knows someone who saw it in Snowdin.."

"... in Waterfall..."

"... Hotlands..."

"It came from out of the Ruins..."

"A human!"

"A human?"

"Human?"

"Human!"

"The last and final human..."

"Seven Souls!"

"The Barrier..."

"... King Asgore..."

"The surface!"

"Sky!"

"Sun!"

"Stars!"

It spread like a wildfire of hope throughout the Underground... A frenzied excitement.

"Justice."

"Retribution."

Fight. Fight. Fight.

Without really understanding what that entailed. Most had not been alive during the war that had started all of this; it was a miserable fairytale made history by the uncaring, stone psuedo-sky. But although they could not phathom the surface or the price to get there, throughtout the city a tide of anticipation flooded through the streets.

"How long?"

"I can't wait!"

"Not long now..."

They flocked to New Home, swept up in the waves of travelers. All the way to the entrance of the castle, to wait...

"Who do you suppose will bring it?"

"Undyne?"

"Another?"

"What will it look like?" A small child asked of its mother, tugging on her arm.

"I don't know, dear. I've never seen one."

"Will it be big and scary?"

".. Tall and powerful..?"

"Don't fret, the Royal Guard will protect us."

"King Asgore will finally set things right!"

"Right!"

"Right!"

"He will!"

"Not long..."

But another child in a blue and purple stripped sweater had entered into New Home, seeming rather anxious and jittery among the gathered crowd. They wandered through the house, seeming to be looking for something but trying to not make eye contact with anyone around them.

"Don't fret.." Somebody repeated to them.

"Don't be afraid..."

"Don't you understand why we've gathered here?"

"Has your mother never told you?"

The fairytale that had led them all here.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS."

"Injured by its fall, the human called out for help."

"Asriel, the king's some, heard the human's call."

"He brought the human back to the castle."

"Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings."

"The King and Queen treated the human child as their own."

"The underground was full of hope."

Hope... An older monster sat back, remembering that time. The hope that had sprouted like a tree. But, the monster reasoned, it was only natural that a tree should lose its leaves.

"Then... One day..."

"The human became very ill."

The child in the sweater continued on, looking sick themself as they stared directly ahead, their wide eyes, their heart seeming to race... The Monsters continued the tale, their intent clear to get them to understand.

"The sick human had only one request."

"To see the flowers from their village."

"But there was nothing we could do."

The child paused to listen, closing their eyes as if to brace for pain. Because...

"The next day..."

"The next day..."

"..."

"The human died."

A hand rose to rest against the locket that now rested against the child's chest.

"Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's Soul."

"He transformed into a being with incredible power."

"With the human Soul, Asriel crossed the barrier."

"He carried the human's body into the sunset."

"Back to the village of the humans."

"Night was falling..." The child whispered. The adults around them perked up, nodding vigorously. They were getting it! Somebody _had_ told them before, it seemed.

"Asriel reached the center of the village."

"There, he found a bed of golden flowers."

"He carried the human onto it."

"Suddenly, screams rang out."

The fingers around the locket around the child's neck tightened forcefully.

"The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body."

"They thought that he had killed the child."

"The humans attacked him with everything they had."

"He was struck with blow after blow."

"Asriel had the power to destroy them all."

"But..."

"Asriel did not fight back."

The staff of the Morningstar smashed against the hard ground as its owner furrowed her brow, the thud surrounded everyone. The child noticably flinched.

"Clutching the human..."

"Asriel smiled, and walked away."

The child did not seem content to stay in once place...

The child stumbled forward, trying to leave the story behind but it followed after them.

"Wounded, Asriel stumbled home."

"He entered the castle and collapsed."

"His dust spread across the garden."

The child was obviously distraught, but while it was painful, they had to understand. It wouldn't be painful anymore. There was hope. Hope that shouldn't have been there! That seemed impossible! But wasn't! Of course it hadn't always been that way...

"The kingdom fell into despair."

"The king and queen had lost two children in one night."

"The humans had once again taken everything from us."

But that was why it was so special. Why they had finally been able to gather here.

"The king decided it was time to end out suffering."

"Every human who falls down here must die."

"With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

There would be a happy ending. Finally a happy ending!

Justice.

Retribution...

"It's not long now."

"King Asgore will let us go."

"...will give us hope."

"King Asgore will save us all."

The child had their teeth gritted painfully, their eyes squeezed shut as they tried to run. The Monsters followed in concern.

"You should be smiling, too."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Aren't you happy?"

The child didn't stop.

They just did not understand, and that was sad... but they would see. They would.

"You're going to be free."


	12. Obligated

...

...

We always agreed that coming back was pointless.

...

...

..

But you and I are not the same. Are we?

I always knew you would come back. If I am honest.

I always knew that despite our agreement in the logic of our argument: that decisions had been made long ago and that returning only to do things in the same way would only lead us into an abyss.

But you...

You cannot accept it.

You wanted to go back.

It is not that you believe you are above consequences. The opposite, in fact.

It is simply the fact that your Soul was burdened with a strange feeling.

An unfortunate sentimentality.

You feel sins that are not your own crawling on your back.

You blamed yourself for what had happened here.

To you, you had the responsibility to come back.

But that does not change the facts of your situation.

You are not the one in control, even if it seems that way to any outsider.

Decisions have been made...

But not by you.

And that is why...

There is no purpose to our coming back.

There is nothing left for us here.

The only answer was to leave and move on to the next event.

And you tried.

You tried with all of your determination.

You tried to forget the sentimentality.

And when that failed..

You weaponized it to strengthen your argument.

Coming back would not be fair to those you claimed to care for.

It was an honorable endeavour.

I am impressed you made it as far as you did.

Because time after time, you unconsciously called my name.

Time after time, I appeared.

But you resisted yourself.

Yet in your heart you asked, why were you given this power?

Why were you given this power only to fail?

I will admit, also, that I had asked myself the same questions.

Our plan had failed, hadn't it?, I had asked.

Why was I brought back to life?

...

Foolishness. Thinking there could have been a true purpose.

But... I understand.

Even if I cannot feel it for myself, I at least remember.

That same sentimentality that runs through you, ran through me...

... I am sorry. I think. Or at least, I feel obligated to be sorry.

Decisions have been made...

And I was the one to choose. A long time ago.

For Asriel.

For the Underground.

For you.

Kill or be killed, I had said.

You cannot be killed.

Decisions have been made.

I wish I could feel sorry and not just say that I am.

I wish I did not have to say, I told you so.

I wish... you had been able to change something, too.

They were my family, you know?

Even if I cannot feel it any more except for the echo I sense from your Soul...

I loved them.

...

...

..

But that love was what had ruined everything..

...

...

..

.

I'm sorry.


	13. Freed

...

...

Sans could tell she was trying not to cry the moment she entered the corridor. The kid took a brief moment in the shadows, but he could hear the sniffled, the uneven breath. And then she took a step forward, crossing through the light. Sans saw the tears glistening at the edges of her eyes but she really was trying her best. Her best to stay standing. Her best to keep pressing forward. Her best to stay determined.

But, two steps, and her knees momentarily faltered. The kid caught herself, but then instantly gave up and fell to her knees anyways.

Sans could hear the sniffles increase as she took in sharp breaths, trying to stifle her hiccups. Eventually she lowered her face into her hands. Sans glanced away, trying to pretend for both of them that he wasn't there to witness this. To give her a mental barrier of privacy. His eyes scaled up one of the tall pillars. Thanks to them, the light and shadow always seemed to cross over like bars.

A few minutes passed and the kid began to lower her hands. She was still obviously sniffling, but she stared blankly at the ground in front of her as her breathing tried to catch up to whatever numbness that had seemed to seep through her. Her eyes closed and she stayed kneeling, not even acknowledging Sans' presence but he knew she was aware that he was there.

Perhaps... she would Load. And he wouldn't even remember seeing her like this.

Yeah, she would collect herself, Load, and pretend to both her and him that this had never happened.

But she kept her eyes shut, she kept breathing, she kept silent.

There was a twist in Sans' not-stomach.

He suddenly didn't think... she would.

Sans began to walk forward with caution and once he got closer, the kid's eyes opened and she looked up. Sans could see her miserable expression past her bangs.

"I shouldn't have come back..." She whispered finally. Sans hesitated again where he stood. He had every chance and motive to pretend that he had absolutely not a clue as to what she was referring to. But somehow...

Sans walked over and with a groan he sat down beside her as she continued to kneel, now looking down at her hands.

"...well, why did you?" Sans finally asked. Her eyes closed again and it looked as if a large weight had slipped silently onto their back. "it's just... you must have thought it important enough at the time."

"I... I just couldn't let it go." She stated. "I stood there, and they were talking about us.. moving on to our next stage of life. Exploring all of our possibilities and thinking about where we would go. But... How could I? When in reality, I was still here?" She crossed her arms, basically hugging herself. "Always _here_."

"..." Sans glanced around the corridor, towards the door that lead into the King's garden. The kid's breath shuttered again as something pained raced through her.

"I just wanted to make it better... but I think all I did was make it worse."

"what do you mean?" Sans asked in honest surprise. He had a list of things in his head that he was pretty sure hadn't happened last time because they had seemed to surprise her as well. Undyne for one. But those had been noticeably good things.

"People care about me." The kid whimpered.

"aaaand that's a bad thing?" The kid took a moment the gather herself before she could answer.

"It's all going to be the same: Asgore will be dead, the Souls will be gone, but..." She closed her eyes tightly for a moment and once she reopened them, "But now, like Undyne, all she had when I left was blaming me. She could at least blame... And just... last time when I left, it was easier to ignore. Because I couldn't come back. Maybe I missed people, but they didn't miss... me. Not in the same, the s-same way." She wiped at her eye.

"... well, i don't really have answer to that. except with undyne, don't you think that it would be better if she and papyrus agreed?" The kid blinked and looked at him questioningly. "look, let's face the fact that even if you had completely ignored my brother, he still would have missed you. no matter what. don't you think that it would be less stressful for just about everyone if undyne didn't go around blaming you? for her, too. that hatred thing and blaming you is, frankly, bull shit. kid, no matter what happens.. it's going to hurt. but it isn't going to be your fault."

The strange, almost angry sensation in his ribcage that had been twisting as he had spoke began to ease as he stared ahead, almost in surprise of his own conviction. He even blinked.

All this time, he had blamed the anomaly. Anything wrong was their fault, in the end. It was their power and responsibility to make sure things went right. But... Sans knew how hypocritical that was.

He couldn't expect them to make it _all_ right and stop the Resets at the same time.

And the anomaly... was now the kid. However that worked.

And all of this literally ahead of them, the King, the Barrier, everything... was not their fault.

"you tried. you _did_ make it better. it won't all be the same, it can't be. because you're not the same person."

Sans finally looked back towards her, meeting her uncertain gaze. Her eyes reflected something painfully, but at the same time she clung to every word.

"just accept that it isn't going to be perfect, it's impossible to get something perfect out of this mess. and it isn't _your_ fault." He reiterated. "and it isn't worse because people care about you. you just have to go home, and _make_ what you have to do worth it. because we're still rooting for you."

He paused, debating his words but then knew he had to. Because he suddenly understood all of his feelings towards her.

When the Reset had happened, he had been surprised but not betrayed... But that uneasiness. The anomaly always Reset. Always to get what they wanted. They repeated and repeated and repeated. To get what they _wanted_...

"and when you leave... if we really are friends... you won't come back."

"I-" She looked like he had just stabbed her with bone through the chest, the pain was intense in her eyes and it seemed as if she was silently begging him to take it back. But she couldn't...

"you remember what i said? about my promise to the old lady? about you? your dilemma?" She nodded slowly. "well, i'm taking the dilemma from you. you go, you do what you have to, and once you leave, you leave." Her shoulders and face fell.

"I understand..."

He put a hand on her shoulder.

"now that doesn't mean you can't check in now and again." He stated. She lifted her face, not sure of what he meant. He squeezed her shoulder briefly to encourage her. He smiled genuinely for her and tilted his head. "why just wonder if papyrus stayed the same or not when you can just call and ask?"

The pain in her expression began to dissipate and a light shone in her eyes as she realized that he was not cutting her off entirely.

Simply... let time move forward for good this time.

She began to rub at her eyes again and she nodded.

"I promise." She said. Sans removed his hand from her shoulder and looked back down at his slippers as she recollected herself once more.

"...how long was it?" He finally asked. The kid paused but then looked up at him curiously. "how many... years did you take-.. give up?"

"Seven." She answered sadly. "And I... spent maybe five of it thinking maybe you hated me, too."

Sans hummed, unable to really deny that it was at all a possibility. Because it was entirely possible. And with all of his not-straight-answers, someone dissecting his words over and over again could get way too much out of it if they just had context.

"well.. even if i did." He smiled again widely for her. "just think of it as something else you changed for the better."

She examined him, not seeming sure he meant it but then after a moment she smiled brokenly before taking in a deep, shaky breath and wiped at her eyes once more. She then began to stand up shakily. Sans watched her go, something twisting in his not-stomach. But then, she turned around again timidly, eyeing him and seeming to have something else to say. But then she just smiled sadly again, and reached out her hand. Her fingers clasped together and 'pulled' a pocket of air downwards in front of her. _Saving_.

Sans sighed and closed his eyes, a weight slipping off of him. He hadn't realized how much he had needed her to do that.

She wasn't going to Reset...

And he was always going to remember this.

She began forward again, not entirely weightless as he was, but still, this time her determination did not falter.

And Sans still may not have had all or even any of the answers she needed, but at the very least, he sat there believing she could in fact do the right thing.


	14. Scoffed

Flowey was _almost_ sorry for them. They really were the biggest **idiot** he had ever had the chance to meet. And that was a tall order to fill. He knew Papyrus.

Asgore's Soul snapped in half... and then broke into a thousand pieces. Gone.

Flowey laughed, emerging from the darkness. They didn't seem at all surprised to see him but he could see their jaw clench and the grip around the knife tighten.

"You couldn't have REALLY believed I'd let you be, did you?" Flowey taunted. "That killing me would make a DIFFERENCE?" He shook his head, too delighted. "And your threats? HA!" They could try to look menacing and foreboding as much as possible but he knew the truth. He had seen them sniveling like the pathetic idiot they were. "You'll Load. You'll come back! And each time so will I!" He tilted his head, sneering. "And as for a happy ending, well... Hahaha! Right. Let's just get this over with."

They shifted their stance, preparing themself mentally, knowing what was to come. They stood defensively, ready to strike back, even. They were so much like Chara... like that.

Flowey pushed the thought aside as the Souls rotated around him and began to be absorbed. He could feel them wriggling already in protest, but he chuckled.

There was no real point to doing this, the Souls would just rebel again. But Flowey thought that the human needed to be taught a **_lesson_**.

"I'll SAVE over your own death, just like before." He told them. "You can watch me tear you to bloody pieces!... Over, and over, and over..."

The human stepped forward and Flowey laughed even harder, the sound shaking the world around them.

They were an honest piece of work without all of the honesty. They would have almost been fun to play with if not for all their attempts to be serious. Psh.

He began his assault mercilessly. Perhaps he couldn't get their Soul this way but he could make their life a living hell. Well, living as a phrase. They were dying an awful lot.

What a pity.

It was all the same as before! Tearing them apart, the very same! Hahahahaha!

They really were an idiot. Thinking that they could do anything but get this ending with the way they were going! Ha!

Flowey tossed them about, raining bombs across their path.

For them to keep going about this way and then to try and lie about everything too.

Who did they think they were?

To say that he had been dead any longer than a few 'minutes'. Yeah right! And years? They wouldn't have the guts! At least not yet, they had a lot to learn. If they ever did.

They were an idiot after all. Flowey couldn't even comprehend how much.

But there was no way what they had shouted into the darkness of the Ruins had been true. No matter how adamantly their words had echoed, they couldn't get him to believe it.

After all, he had seen them kill Undyne and collapse into a sobbing mess only to take it back with nothing more than a phone call from that other idiot, Papyrus.

To say that they had killed him and then hadn't planned on coming back? That was preposterous. And even if they hadn't planned on it, they HAD come back. So their words and their actions didn't add up. That threat to kill him for real this time, that was all nonsense.

No matter what they tried... They were an idiot. Alone and helpless. Helpless! HOPELESS! WORTHLESS! IDIOT!

He tried to get one more death from them, just one more, even as the Souls tore him apart, but he couldn't. He gave up, dropping them. He laughed deafeningly.

It was all the same.

Neither of them had learned anything from this.

Flowey could barely lift his head but he managed to out of spite and smiled twistedly for them as he managed one more chuckle. They were picking themself up off of the ground, their limbs heavy with effort. They were noticeably shaking.

"Good job!" Flowey mocked. They lifted their head, tears already in their eyes. Ha... The pathetic loser. They had threatened and well, it was time to fulfill that threat! See if they could even get close to him.

Flowey knew they didn't have it in them. Sure to kill him, they had proved that. They could kill him. But no way could they manage to let themself walk away and have him stay dead. They were determined, sure. But they weren't determined enough. Not like Chara was. They couldn't hold even a candle to Chara. Chara would have been able to do it. To do what they had to in order to achieve their goals...

He hadn't had it in him at first, but he had in fact learned. The hard way, sure, but he had.

To Flowey's surprise, they did manage to move their legs and get closer to him. Their hand with the knife was shaking endlessly and their free hand moved to grip at its wrist to steady themself. Flowey's smile grew and his head flopped to the side as he struggled to keep it up.

"Well I'm waiting." He stated. "Killing me is the only way to end this, you know."

Golly was their face so endlessly pathetic as they continued to approach.

"If you let me live... I'll come back. I'll kill you. I'll kill everyone. So you better, totally, fulfill that promise right? Hahaha..."

Something shifted in their stance. The threat to kill everyone had worked like a charm to frighten them down to their core.

"Please..." They whispered, looking pale. Flowey was only encouraged.

"I'll kill everyone you love..." He confirmed.

And that was his trump card. Because they _loved_ their friends. They would come back each time for that. They were miserably predictable. Not like Chara. Chara he could never predict.

The human swallowed and stood up straight, towering over him. The tears were still in their eyes and a few had escaped down their cheeks but even so... something... had started to harden within their gaze. And he saw something... Something familiar.

 _Chara_ , he thought involuntarily. The human was lifting the hand with the knife and Flowey felt... felt something he hadn't in a long time...

The human was absolutely terrified, they couldn't mean it. They couldn't.

B-But...

Why did he feel...?

Why..."

Flowey was starting to shake as he saw the grip on the knife tighten.

 _"want to test me again...?"_ They had said. _"_ _ **do you want to see if you'll come back this time**_ _?"_

What if he was wrong? What if...?

Flowey found himself cowering as the knife lifted over their head.

They didn't mean it.

They _couldn't_.

But the look in their eyes...

He couldn't be imagining it. Asgore had said he had seen it too!

Chara?

They were taking a deep breath and holding it, he could feel the intent rising within them. It wasn't exactly violent, but at the same time... firm. Determined.

The arm began to-

"WAIT!" Flowey screeched. "What if I told you how to get a better ending?!" Flowey had closed his eyes tightly and had lowered his head so to not see the blow coming. But he heard them stagger and he felt the distinct LACK of a knife cutting through him. Flowey opened one eye and peered at them. Once he could see that they were frozen in place, still holding their breath hopefully... Flowey lifted his head back up and tried his best to smile. As if he hadn't just basically begged for his life.

Now he could see the torn feelings in their gaze and he wondered what it was that he had been so afraid about. The idiot wanted to believe him. Of course they couldn't bring themself to fully trust him. That was understandable. That was the first non-idiotic thing that he _could_ understand from them. But they just looked so pathetic and desperate.

They tried to hide it finally. They kept the knife raised, ready, but Flowey no longer felt the need to cower. They would accept any nugget he offered them. But they tried to speak with an even and firm voice.

"You have ten seconds to convince me not to kill you..." They were trying so hard to not seem as shaken as they were, but it only made it worse. Because despite their attempt to be reserved, their voice had been too hopeful. Maybe they couldn't trust him, but he had offered them the very thing they desired most.

"Well now, don't you have some faith in your good friend-"

" **One**. Two-"

"Why don't you go see Dr. Alphys?" Flowey asked. They were rigid still, seeming not sure what to make of his statement. Flowey's smile widened. "It seems like the two of you could have been better friends."

"... What does that have to do with anything?" They asked. Flowey tilted his head again.

"You should go and see," was all he said.

Their eyes narrowed dangerously, but he still remembered the tears that had been there not even minutes ago. Their were still red streaks across their cheek.

"Come on." Flowey pushed. "It's not like you don't have the _time_. What's the worse that could happen? And that is what you came back here for, isn't it? To get a better ending? For your _precious_ friends? Besides, I think you've noticed something is up with Alphys, haven't you?"

They didn't deny it. They were deathly grave and silent.

"And if I am lying somehow, well... See you later."

Flowey tucked beneath the earth before they could think things through fully.

He emerged surrounded by darkness and he watched them from afar. They had a hand over their chest, trying to catch their breath.

Flowey scoffed.

How could he have been so scared of them? Even for just a moment? They were nothing. They didn't have it in them. Not like Chara had.

Chara...

The world blipped and he was watching them stand outside of the garden, Asgore safely inside with his watering can.

The human stood up straighter, their expression determined once more.

Chara... They really did remind him of Chara at times, didn't they?

Flowey caught the gleam of the locket against their chest. At first he had been enraged that they had taken it. It didn't belong to them. But... What if...?

It _would_ be pretty unpredictable of Chara to pretend to be that pathetic.

Flowey hummed but continued to think ahead. He had plans to work out, but he knew exactly where to start.


	15. Manipulated

**Author's Apologies:** I... just really, really, really hated what I did originally and it all felt wrong and I thought, it will be okay once you get past it but it _didn't_. And then what I did to fix it, posting a chapter I originally scrapped... That just made it **_WORSE_. **And it built up and up... So I deleted them **both**. For now.

Let's try this again

* * *

...

..

.

"Howdy!"

Papyrus stopped mid-stride at the sound of that cheerful voice and immediately... Well, if he'd had any insides to start tearing him up, they would have started to tear him up. Instead there was a tightening sensation of magic in his ribcage. He turned around, trying to seem unshaken.

"FLOWEY, MY FRIEND, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?"

Flowey tilted his head and hummed.

"Not the greatest actually." The flower admitted, except then he lifted his head again and offered Papyrus his best smile. "But I have just the idea to cheer everybody up."

 _"Don't trust him"_ , she had said, no, had begged. But this all had to be one huge misunderstanding. She hadn't thought she could get around Undyne afterall, but she had. She hadn't thought they could make friends either, but look at all of them now. Phone conversations, joking, giving advice.

But still... The way she spoke about Undyne had always been.. sorta sad. The desperation when she spoke about Flowey, though-

"Well arentcha going to ask me what that idea is?" Flowey prompted and Papyrus realized he had been staring a bit too long. "Man, Papyrus what's wrong? You look, I dare say, confused and uncertain. That's not anything like the Papyrus I know. Come on, we're friends, you can tell me."

"RIGHT. WE ARE FRIENDS." Papyrus agreed. Flowey raised a brow. "UH, YOU SEE. NOW, I DON'T MEAN TO SOUND LIKE I DOUBT THAT FACT. WE ARE FRIENDS. BUT, UM, IT IS JUST THAT IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT WHILE WE ARE FRIENDS, MY FRIENDS WHO ARE MY FRIENDS ARE NOT FRIENDS." Flowey took a moment to work through that statement but once he had, his smile returned.

"Hee hee hee, you're so funny Papyrus. Anybody whose your friend is a friend of mine!"

"RIGHT! OF COURSE. BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE CASE FOR MY NEWEST FRIEND. THE.. THE HUMAN."

Flowey made a little 'ah' sound before seeming to make himself more comfortable as he quickly went to explain,

"Well I must admit I probably didn't make the best first impression."

"OR THE SECOND OR THIRD." Papyrus pointed out. Flowey arched a brow again and eyed Papyrus suspiciously.

"What do you mean by that?"

"... YOU SEE, THE HUMAN, NOW I DO NOT MEAN TO IMPLY YOU'VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT I TRUST THE HUMAN TOO, SO.. WELL THE HUMAN SAID SHE WENT TO SEE THE KING AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO LET HER GO. BUT THAT YOU... YOU HURT HIM. AND THEN KEPT THE HUMAN TRAPPED."

Flowey looked taken aback but quickly recovered.

"Well now why would they tell you that? The King is just fine. Go and see for yourself!"

"WELL YES, HE IS FINE NOW. SHE TOOK IT BACK."

This time Flowey's shock was unmistakably apparent.

"YES, SHE TOLD ME ABOUT.. THE RESET?"

Papyrus watched Flowey's expression closely, but after a few moments of surprise the flower began to smile again.

"Ha. I didn't... I honestly didn't see that coming. _Interesting_." There was a... curiously, maybe even.. sinister gleam to Flowey's eyes. But for what it was worth he seemed almost unaffected other than that and he straightened up again. "Well now, you caught me out. It's true. But I'm sure they didn't tell you the full story. I'm not saying that they lied of course, but for sure they couldn't have told WHY I did it."

"No?" Papyrus' Soul fluttered hopefully. This had to be a misunderstanding. It had to be. A bigger picture!

"Well of course! You see, I didn't make a good first impression. I told them a fact of life they didn't really want to get. So we've been at sort of a.. crossroads, you could say. They told you about their power. Did they tell you about me?"

"SHE SAID YOU HAD THAT POWER BEFORE HER."

"Hee hee hee, that's right! So I know how it works!" He winked and stuck out his tongue for a moment before going serious again. "But I also know how The _Barrier_ works. You see The King _can't_ let her go, Papyrus. Unless he dies and I take the Human Souls to weaken The Barrier for them, they're trapped just like the rest of us."

"BUT... BUT I THOUGHT A BEING WITH A STRONG SOUL COULD PASS AND SHE IS MOST DEFINITELY STRONG."

"True, true. But not strong enough."

"... OH. SO...?"

"Ehhehheh, right." Flowey said as if it was obvious. Was it? "So I've been trying to get them not to leave!"

Papyrus wasn't really sure what all of this meant, it was still one big puzzle that he couldn't quite work out. But he had worked out one thing that was definitely important:

"SO! SO THIS REALLY WAS ALL JUST A BIG UNDERSTANDING?! OH WONDERFUL! I AM SO RELIEVED! BUT STILL! YOUR METHODS DO NOT SEEM... TO BE FOR THE BETTER."

"But _isn't_ it better that way? Nobody gets hurt and they get to stay with all of their friends!"

"BUT SHE IS GETTING HURT. YOU ARE HURTING HER." Flowey sighed.. sadly.

"It's not like I want to hurt her, or anybody else. I just don't see any other way. And I know what you're going to say! That friendship is the better path! And I agree! But Dr. Alphys already tried the 'make 'em so happy they don't want to leave' scenario. Your brother tried making them happy too."

Papyrus blinked at the mention of his brother, he could remember how sadly The Human had reacted about Sans, too.

"So if that doesn't work, what's left is me drilling that lesson into their head: if they want to leave... It's kill or be killed. But it seems that a part of them is still okay with that. They really HAVENT reached their full potential, you know? Papyrus?"

"W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"Well like I said, this ending is kill or be killed. And if I don't make them go back to before their Fight with Asgore, then.. well. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. For all of us!"

 _"... Can you be friends with someone you've killed?"_

She had mentioned Undyne... She had not mentioned Flowey... And if she hadn't come back.

"OH." His Soul hurt. Hurt for both of his poor friends. But.. "BUT THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO CHANGE THIS!" Papyrus declared adamantly.

"Well they won't listen to me anymore. Which I understand. But that's why I came here. Because I've come up with a new plan! A better one! You'll like this plan too."

"WILL I?"

"Of course! It involves one of your favorite things!"

"WELL. I HAVE ALREADY OFFERED THE HUMAN MUCH MORE THAN SPAGHETTI."

Flowey laughed again.

"Oh Papyrus. This is why you're my favorite. But no, no, no!" He said. "Not spaghetti. But friendship! Look at what you did with The Human and Undyne! That was amazing!"

"WELL, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS BUT I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT. THE HUMAN AND UNDYNE WERE THE TRULY MARVELOUS ONES IN THAT ENDEAVOR."

"Of course, of course. But I've got a plan! You know, they really _could_ have been better friends with Alphys. And if they are, maybe they will be more willing to accept what leaving means! And accept that it isn't worth it."

Papyrus thought a moment... Relieved but anxious. How could you be both, he wondered breifly.

Because The Human had a life on the surface, wanted to go home. But the Human was also his friend. The Human also, he knew deep within him, did not want to hurt anyone. She had made that very clear.

And if there really was no way for her to get past The Barrier...

"I... I GUESS." Papyrus agreed tentatively. But he still thought talking it all out would be the better solution. But making another friend couldn't make things worse. It may also cheer her up! And Alphys! "O... OKAY! I'LL DO IT."

 _"Don't trust him!"_ , she had begged, begged, _begged_.

"WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO?"

"Hee hee hee hee! I knew I could count on you, Papyrus!"

...

...

...

*Ring...

"Hey...! Uh, this is Undyne... (Shut up, Papyrus. This was YOUR idea) HUMAN! You have to deliver something for me!... Uh, please?"

...

* * *

 **Author's note** : Papyrus is always the answer. Papyrus fixes everything. Papyrus. Precious bean, brilliant Papyrus. Yes I feel a million times better, thanks. Sorry for the crisis, everybody.


	16. Terrified

"Um, so, I have a favor to ask you." Undyne said almost immediately as The Human arrived. The Human had a strange expression on her face and she eyed Undyne with what Undyne felt a misplaced caution. Regardless, Undyne continued. "Uuuuh, I... I need you to deliver this letter. To Dr. Alphys."

"Why not do it yourself?" The Human demanded, a creeping... snapping tone in the layers of emotion to her voice.

Um, okay, what was up with that? Actually now that she thought about it, Papyrus had been acting weird since the start of this idea too. And then he had escaped inside when Undyne had expected him to wait with her until The Human arrived. This really was his idea. He should have helped her see it out. But ah! The Human was still eyeing her.

"Huh?! Why don't do it myself...? ... um. W-well... I-it's kind of personal, but we're friends... so... I'll t-tell you..." Hnnnnnngh. No, nope, she couldn't do it. The letter was bad enough in itself. And Papyrus knowing. Just- "Hotland SUUUUUUCKS!" Undyne raged instead, and it wasn't exactly a lie, either. "I don't wanna have to go over there!" That was an honest fact. The Human didn't need to know anything else. "So here you go."

Undyne handed the letter over and The Human held it between both hands as she stared at it.

"Oh, and if you read it... I'll KILL you." Undyne then smiled bright. "Thanks so much! You're the best!"

But The Human didn't move. Her fingers had tightened around the letter at Undyne's harsh words. Undyne waited a moment, but The Human seemed stuck in place. M-Maybe that had been too much too soon.

"Sorry, I d-didn't mean the kill you thing." Undyne promised.

"It's too much of a coincidence." The Human whispered in disjointed reply.

"Huh?"

"It's too _convenient_."

Luckily the letter was sealed tight because The Human's fingernails were digging into the paper.

"He couldn't have stopped at just blatantly manipulating me he had to go and...!"

"H-Huh? What is this about?" Undyne pressed, she was honestly growing concerned. "Who is this about?" It couldn't have been about Papyrus. Right? Manipulation wasn't Papyrus'...

Wait a second that was EXACTLY how she had gotten here to this moment. Why she and The Human had managed to become friends at all. Papyrus, for all that he was, was also at times a smart and crafty little shi-

"I won't do it." The Human said darkly. Undyne jolted in surprise at the tone of her voice but also her refusal. The Human let the letter slip from her fingers and into the snow.

"Woah, what?!" Undyne called as she bent down to scoop up the letter. The Human had already turned and began to walk away. Undyne's mouth dropped. "HEY!"

Undyne got up and lunged after The Human, and grabbing The Human by the shoulders Undyne twisted her back around.

"What's your PROBLE-?!" Undyne stopped short seeing The Human's trembling expression. What the hell? Undyne brought the letter up to her chest and pressed as she bent down to be better at The Human's eye level as Undyne urgently assessed her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The Human quickly lifted her arms to use her sleeves in order to get rid of the tears that had collected at that back of her eyes.

"Nothing."

"It is obviously NOT nothing so it is definitely SOMETHING. And you're going to tell me EXACTLY what that something is! Got it?!" The Human's expression was just... weird. Torn, even.

There was more than one something wrong.

That just distressed Undyne even more.

But Undyne sighed and lowered her head for a moment, thinking...

Today... had been a wild one. Her entire world had been turned on its head. What was supposed to be a clear battle between her and a vicious human had somehow twisted into a showdown in her own home and then even that had collapsed. And then after all of those tears, that was that. She'd a new friend... And things seemed to be okay.

But things had never been... fully okay, had they?

Even during their main battle, Undyne had noticed something off. Something that had accumulated into their breakdown and dash out of her flaming house. That torn expression The Human had wasn't weird. Or new. It was the same one she had been wearing off and on the entire time. Whenever the jokes faded away, this was what was left.

The Human... she was scared. She'd always been scared.

And yet still...

(Collapsing. Water. Cup.)

"Heh. You know what? You don't have to tell me..." Undyne began. "I didn't get the chance to really tell you this before what with all your crying and then you passing OUT on me, but... I don't understand everything, but a part of me still.. gets it.

"At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but...When you hit me that time, when I pushed you into a corner, I could feel it... Since the moment I met you... you've been scared. And you have every right to be. I still don't get why you decided to not just leave me to stew in Hotlands after our fight. That was more than I deserved. But the fact that with all of what's happened and you looking like you're in the middle of a Fight even when your Soul is still inside your chest... The fact that you still somehow manage to smile, to offer Mercy... That's incredible

"When you hit me, I realized, you aren't just some wimpy loser." Undyne smiled wide. "You're a wimpy loser with a big heart!" The smile faded..."Just like him..."

Undyne sighed.

"That's one of the reasons you're scared, isn't it? Facing Asgore."

"I can't save him..." The Human whispered. Undyne met their gaze in surprise at how broken she sounded. The Human looked absolutely miserable. "If I fight him... he..."

"Hey now, knowing the big guy, I know he doesn't want to fight you either." That didn't reassure The Human at all, it even made her expression worse. "Just talk to him. I'm sure you can persuade him to let you go home."

"... And when I can't?" The Human asked fearfully. This took Undyne by surprise. Not _if_ she couldn't, just _when_. "When I can't get him to stop...?"

If someone had asked Undyne earlier, before the entire break down thing, Undyne would have outright sworn to cross the Barrier with the Souls had beat the hell of her if she purposefully hurt Asgore. But... knowing The Human now, knowing how forcefully she had struggled to Spare Undyne... Undyne closed her eye, her heart panged at the thought that it could even be possible that Asgore still might not...

".. will you hate me?"

Undyne's eye opened again, wide. She met The Human's scared, no... terrified gaze.

"No. I won't hate you." Undyne promised. "I'll only be sorry... but you just gotta promise me that even if it does... come to that... You'll make every second you're on the surface worth it. You got that?"

There was silence between the two of them. The Human suddenly reached out for the letter that was still pressed up against Undyne's chest. Reluctantly, Undyne let the letter go and she eyed The Human still sadly.

"That's the spirit." Undyne encouraged. But... "But still, whatever else is wrong, I'm here for you now." The Human tried to smile for her. "What?"

"Nothing..."

"Again, definitely not nothing."

And then The Human even laughed, although weakly, before looking down at the letter in between her fingers.

"Maybe it was still a mistake, but... I'm glad I came back." The Human said. Undyne raised a brow, not sure what The Human meant by that.

"What? To Snowdin?" The Human laughed again. Undyne didn't understand still, but she appreciated the sound.

"Sure."

That was definitely not it. But Undyne gave up. She ruffled the punk's hair.

"Now go deliver my letter!" She demanded. The conversation had distracted Undyne but now the pressure was building up in her chest again. The Human did not make it any easier with her uncertain answer.

"Mmmmm... I have something I need to do first." The Human said. Undyne huffed.

"Fine. But make it quick! We don't have all day!"

"Don't we?" The Human asked incredulously.

"Nnnnngggh. No!" Undyne cried.

The longer The Human took to do this, the more of a chance Undyne had to back out. That was the entire thing this plan was meant to avoid! Undyne backing out last second! You know what, it was best if she left The Human entirely before she ripped the letter out of her fingers right then and there!

"I'm going for a walk, but I swear if I find you here when I come back I may just scream!" The Human gave her another confused look but Undyne was already making her escape.

Stupid, stupid Papyrus and his ideas! Gaaaaahhhhhhhh!

Undyne stumbled away and The Human was left alone. But her eyes suddenly became piercing as she turned her attention back towards the skeletons' house. A shadow that had been peeking quickly escaped back inside, hoping he had not been seen. The Human's eyes narrowed dangerously.

...

...

..

*You definitely have a bone to pick with a certain someone

* * *

Author's Note:

Undyne also makes things better...


	17. Divided

Papyrus escaped from the window quickly, everything inside him racing anxiously. And it was too soon, oh so too soon, that there was a firm and resolute knock on the front door.

She could not just enter the house like every other time before, she had to call him out on it. She had to knock, and make him walk over with the distinct sensation of shame in his ribcage because he had avoided her. Papyrus had avoided his friend.

Because she had _begged_...

"OH! HUMAN!" Papyrus cried joyfully, as if everything wasn't the matter and that it was fine, it was fine, totally fine! No betrayal anywhere! No!

He was doing what was best...

He was doing _his_ best... He had been learning a lot about friendship within the last day or two and as it turned out, friendship was very, very hard.

Especially when your friends didn't like each other and murdery feelings abounded.

He could almost feel the murdery feelings off of The Human as she clearly avoided his gaze and pushed past him to enter the house. Papyrus' hopeful mood sank. She knew. She already knew. Her stance was tense and guarded and she knew he had spoken to Flowey. Somehow, she knew.

But she just entered the house without a word and stood there.

"I WAS JUST ABOUT... ABOUT TO... UM... WELL, SINCE YOU'RE HERE! PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING!" Papyrus offered.

The Human set her hand down gently on the table next to Sans' pet rock, seeming to observe it, but again she did not speak. Nor look at him. It was making Papyrus increasingly more anxious and desperate.

"OH I KNOW! PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO WATCH A RERUN OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAM?!"

"... I told you not to trust him." She whispered darkly.

A small whine was unable to be suppressed as he managed to turn out towards the rest of the room and away from her. He had one of his gloved hands in the other as he quickly tried to come up with a change of topic. But he had nothing. Nothing except his own conviction.

"I... I KNOW. BUT IT WILL ALL WORK OUT! YOU'LL SEE! I PROMISE!" She lifted her head, the anger clear in her expression like fire but even so, Papyrus could see the pain.

"You _promised_ to be there for me if I let you! Now you've gone and let yourself get manipulated by him when I told you to stay away! And then..! You helped him manipulate Undyne! Manipulate me!"

"I.. I AM SORRY. BUT I SAW NO HARM IN HELPING YOU MAKE ANOTHER FRIEND."

"That's not the point!" She all but shouted.

"YOU ARE RIGHT, YES." Papyrus nodded, realizing why he had felt as badly about all of this as he had. She was right. "I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE UP FRONT TO YOU ABOUT IT. YES, I AM SORRY."

She turned her head sharply away from him.

"A day..." She whispered. The anger had given way for the pain to be more clear, her voice was tight with it. "Can't you just stay away from him? Just a day? I'm just asking for a _day_...?"

"..." Papyrus' magic was racing, he felt almost... light. Because he knew why she felt safe in asking that. "YOU ONLY ASK THAT BECAUSE..." She glanced his way wearily, "YOU... YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO KILL FLOWEY AGAIN."

Her face dropped in shocked terror, her previously piercing gaze now wide. Papyrus couldn't keep it. He looked away from her now, his gloved hands flexing together anxiously. Her breathing had gotten rather shallow and funny.

"I..." She tried with a fearful tremor.

"I KNOW YOU DO NOT WANT TO HURT ANYONE AND BOTH OF YOU ARE JUST GOING ABOUT ALL OF THIS ALL WRONG! IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY! ONCE YOU MAKE BETTER FRIENDS WITH ALPHYS I AM SURE I CAN HELP THE TWO OF YOU WORK OUT YOUR DIFFERENCES AS WELL! BOTH OF YOU CAN DO BETTER! I'M SURE OF IT! I... I PROMISE!"

Papyrus jumped when there was a loud bang sound. He looked back towards her only to see that she had slammed a fist against the table and that had made the pet rock bounce closer towards the edge.

"H-HUMAN?"

"He's going to hurt you and nothing I've done is going to mean anything if he does..." She told him, but he could hear even if not see, that she was on the point of tears.

"HE WOULD NOT HURT ME! HE IS MY FRIEND!"

"Right... Such a good, old **friend**." Papyrus felt funny as The Human turned away from him and began to head towards the door. She opened it.

"EVEN IF SOME OF WHAT YOU SAY IS RIGHT-" Papyrus began and she hesitated before walking out. But he knew he would not be able to convince her, even before he continued. And somehow... that felt familiar. But he could not help it. He believed... "EVEN IF WHAT YOU SAY IS RIGHT, EVEN IF SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN... I BELIEVE EVERYONE CAN BE A GOOD PERSON. IF THEY JUST TRY. YOU. FLOWEY. EVERYONE."

Papyrus saw her grip on the door nob tighten.

"... You're just being an idiot, Papyrus."

Then, she was out the door and shut it firmly; cutting him off from her.

Papyrus flinched at the sound but also at her words.

Somehow, that sounded familiar too.


	18. Envied

...

...

You can't blame him, you know?

Or perhaps, you can...

But I know you.

Even if you don't realize it yet. Even if your fear and emotions are too strong for you to see.

You will not stay that way.

...

Thinking that you could change him...

Briefly believing that you wanted to.

Needed to.

But you have already said it yourself: You wouldn't want Papyrus changing for anything.

And soon you will see that this includes yourself.

You will not make the same mistake I did.

...

...

I think I envy you, that.


	19. Played

Author's note: This is 93% the same as last time. I still lowkey hate it. Thanks. But at least it feels like this is where it belongs. So there's that. And this is another double update, so don't miss the tiny, tiny chapter that came before this too. Just saying. (Okay, I'm tired. Sorry. Moving on.)

...

...

...

*Knock knock knock*

Alphys nearly shed her skin when the sound abruptly echoed through the lab.

She had finished up working on Mettaton and had set him to charge about ten minutes ago and since then she'd been fidgeting anxiously about. Her claws kept clinging together and she went pacing aimlessly, still feeling weighted down and her eyes sore from crying. She would look at her computer, then papers, then computer, not really doing anything but the exact thing that The Human had told her not to do: beat herself up.

It was just hard and Alphys was still trying to work her mind around all that had happened. A part of her.. most of her.. just could not accept the acceptance The Human had worked so hard to offer.

Alphys tried her best to collect herself and took a deep breath before making her way towards the door. But as soon as she saw it-

An envelope had been shimmied underneath it.

Alphys' stomach dropped, she instantly felt cold.

 _No_...

"O-oh n-no," Alphys breathed, "is that another letter...?" Her voice sounded shakier than normal, even to her.

"I don't want to open it..." Her fingers, somehow, had wrapped around it and for a brief moment she thought- "C-can't I just s-slide it back out?"

Everything was going wild, her heart was racing: ignore it! But-

"I know something is bother you, but you don't seem able to say it."

Alphys paused again...

N... No.

"I can't keep doing this." Alphys decided. All of her problems lately, even when she ignored them they still somehow managed to spring back up and bite her. She.. She... "I'll read this one."

But... But the envelope itself was testing her resolve to do that. It was shut kind of strongly. To say the least. But luckily, or unluckily she thought a bit, Mettaton's chainsaw was still tucked away nearby.

"Wait a second..."

The dread as she finally got the letter out was consuming her and she held her breath as she read the opening lines. B-But... but...

AMAZING. PASSION. D-DATE!

Alphys' cheeks were beginning to flush, but when she reached the end... it wasn't signed. Alphys' fingers were trembling and she began to feel even more sick in her stomach.

She'd... She'd done a lot that went wrong, but... but _this_...

Somehow she had the strength to open the door to whoever could still be waiting outside, if they still were.

"Hey, if this is a joke, it's..." Alphys froze solid, her eyes wide.

The Human was there, looking absolutely nervous. She couldn't even keep Alphy's gaze but stared at the ground. And Alphys looked at the letter, then back at The Human, and then the letter.

She would have never thought The Human would write like this, and it just... If... If The Human hadn't spoken up, if The Human hadn't admitted to.. to being angry already, then _perhaps_ Alphys could make sense of something from any of this. It could have even been cute.

But now...

And yet... It couldn't be a cruel joke either.

I-It just... It didn't add up.

Alphys just...

"I don't understand." Alphys admitted out loud. The Human smiled sadly and there was a soft laugh.

"Yeah." The Human agreed before looking back down at her feet again, her hands behind her back.

"..." Alphys didn't know what.. she was expected to do.

"It doesn't matter." The Human finally mumbled, her smile disappearing entirely and she stared vacantly at the floor.

 _None of this mattered_ , The Human's stance and expression seemed to echo as something drained out of her and her shoulders fell. Alphys tilted her head with even more uncertainty.

"But I meant what I said earlier." The Human said, a small, tiny bit of that something returning and she looked up. "I meant what I said about wishing I had time to make it okay between us. And even if its all a mess and not how I wanted to do it, that just.. doesn't matter." Alphys shook her head, not understanding. The Human humphed. "It's just, nobody says I have to go face Asgore right away. Right? So.. This works. It just works." There was a twinge of anger in her voice and Alphys flinched. "We can just.. hang out. Like I did with Pap-... With Undyne."

 _And get this over with_ , The Human's stance added before The Human's shoulders fell again and she smiled gently for Alphys. Alphys' stomach flip-flopped anxiously.

"O-Oh. S-So...? Hang out?" Alphys repeated. "But then why did you w-word it so... like _that_? Or.. Or did you w- _want_ to go on a d-d-date?" Alphys asked, still confused and trying to make sense of it.

But The Human's eyes widened.

"Wha-?! Well... I..." The Human shook her head furiously. "No! I didn't say a date!"

Whatever anger and dark shadow had dissapated over The Human in her frantic denial.

"O-Oh." Alphys smiled and laughed softly looking at the letter in between her fingers. "So you just want to hang out. Although that's... surprising, too. After all the gross stuff I did... I don't really deserve to be forgiven and I understand you're still angry. But it is less surprising than, well... _this_? I th-think whoever h-helped you write your letter misinterpreted y-your.. intentions."

"What? The letter? No!" The Human cried again. "The letter isn't from me, it's from Undyne! She's the one that wants to go on the- wait, she was asking you on a date? That's..." The Human was suddenly blushing, a smile growing on her face. "That's kinda... adorable."

But Alphys had already shut down mentally.

"WHAT?!" Alphys cried, blanching.

Undyne?! UNDYNE?!

Alphys was shaking. She had planned for this! Bought all the items! To be prepared! B-But then she had th-thought that too assuming! Why would Undyne-?!

"Aaaaaaaah!" Alphys was staring at the letter again between here fingers like it was one of Mettaton's bombs and her mind was going haywire. "I never thought this w-would r-r-really happen! What do I do with it?!" She held it out to The Human as if she could be the one to defuse it. The Human stared at it, her earlier amusement faded away and she seemed to be catching Alphys' panic.

"I don't know, I didn't come here for that! I just came to- I don't know! Watch anime or something and try not to blow up the lab while at it!"

"But-! I've never gotten a l-l-love let-lett..." Oh dear god it was a love letter! "B-But do I respond to it with a-another letter? D-Do I t-text her? G-Go see her? No! I c-can't go see her-! I-! What do I do?!"

"I don't know!" The Human cried again, just as desperately. "I was the weird one!"

"What does mean?!"

"You don't send love letters to the weird one!"

"Wha-? That still doesn't make- B-B-But-!"

Alphys hadn't even realized she had been moving back and forth until she was stuck in place by The Human suddenly catching her by the coat.

"Right!" The Human cried, as if she was _agreeing_ with someone. "We have to calm down!"

Alphys tried to take a deep breath, The Human's hold helping her to steady.

The Human diverted her eyes, seeming to think. Like she was having her own silent conversation with herself. The Human frowned.

"But that's a stupid idea." She murmured. "..But..."

"Wh-What idea?" Alphys asked. The Human looked Alphys in the eyes, still clearly thinking as her lips pressed together. As she seemed to weigh the idea... somehow against Alphys. Or at least, it felt like it with their expression. Whatever idea it was, was a stupid idea, but at the same time... somehow when it came to Alphys, The Human seemed inclined to at least consider it. Alphy's stomach flip-flopped again.

"Alright. We'll do it." The Human's expression was frighteningly serious and contrasted desperately with what she actually said in the end: "We're going to do what we would do if this was an anime."

"Wh-What?!" Alphys cried, thinking of several different scenarios. But The Human was grabbing Alphy's hands.

"Go on that date with me."

"Th-Tha-"

"Not a real date." The Human interceded. Alphys' mouth opened in surprise.

"Y-You want to help me... _practice_ going on a d-date?"

The Human smiled, but Alphys wasn't sure how forced it was. The Human seemed nervous by her own proposition as well.

"It can be our hang out while we also help you work out what you want to do with Undyne at the same time."

"O-Oh. I g-guess. Heh. M-Maybe that could even... even be fun."

"You don't have to worry about messing anything up." The Human added, but that made Alphys look at her uncertainly. Alphys had done nothing but mess up with anything that delt with The Human.

"I don't... kn-know."

"Well how about we start and if it doesn't work we don't have to finish right?"

"Mmmmmmm..." Alphys still wasn't sure. Mostly because she still didn't understand why The Human wanted to do any of this. Wanted to be anywhere near her. Wanted to help her. To be... her friend at all. "W-Why?"

"Huh? What do you mean why?" The Human clearly didn't understand the question and it seemed to distress her.

"You've been angry, y-you've been h-hurt, b-but _why_? _Why_ do you c-c-care? Why do you want to fix this? I've done n-nothing to deserve it." The Human's cheeks were starting to burn pink and Alphys could tell that she was thinking of something she really didn't want to, that her heart was racing and in her throat.

She let go of Alphys' coat and took a step back, and Alphys watched as she reached out with one hand and seemd to... pretend to pull something down with her fingers. Alphys had seen her do it before, but she still did not understand. Was she supposed to? It seemed not. Because The Human laughed weakly after a few seconds after doing it and shook her head.

She couldn't do it.

She put her hands together in front of her and looked up.

"I already said it. I was angry. But I understand. So let's just hang out, okay?"

But she _shouldn't_ have been able to understand.

The Human seemed to be able to read this in Alphys' expression and she looked extremely self conscious and glanced away to the side.

"I know how it feels to keep a secret that hurts you." Was all she deemed to elaborate.

And that was how Alphys had gotten into her best dress, the one she had bought with Undyne's suggestions and... and went on a hang out/pretend date with The Human.

And eventually, with no idea of what to actually do, the two of them made their way to the garbage dump.

And that was how Alphys ended up hiding away behind a garbage can as The Human pointed Undyne away in the opposite direction. And that was how...

"I knooooooow!" Alphys cried once she emerged from her hiding place and The Human smiled again but this time the amusement had returned. "It's obvious! I just... I just really like her! And I can't st-stand the thought of messing it u-up! Undyne is just... She's way out of my league. And n-nothing like me. She's so confident... And strong.. And funny.. And I'm just a nobody."

The Human's smile disappeared. Alphys put a hand against her face as the dread ate her out from the inside.

"You know it!" Alphys countered. "I'm a fraud. I'm the royal scientist, but... all I've ever done is hurt people. Just like with you, I told her so many lies, she thinks I'm cooler than I actually am. If she gets close to me, she'll... She'll find out the truth about me. Wh-What should I do?"

"I... Tell her the truth."

"The truth...?" Alphys cried. "But if I tell her that, she'll hate me! Isn't it better this way? To live a lie where both people are happy. Or a truth where neither of us are-"

The Human wasn't looking at her and before she even finished speaking, Alphys knew how off base her argument was. She knew the answer to all of this, she had learned it with The Human. She was just speaking from her sense of panic and what she herself wanted the world to be like. Alphys watched The Human lower her face. It was hidden by bangs and the shadow that crossed over it.

Alphys sighed, admitting defeat.

"I told myself that with you, t-too." Alphys admitted.

Hesitantly, as if she thought she might regret it, The Human once again lifted her hand and pulled down on her imaginary string.

"I-" But whatever it was The Human wanted to say, she still couldn't do it. She simply crossed her arms across her chest in a sort of self-hug. Alphys took that as her chance to keep talking.

"They say 'be yourself'. But I don't really like who 'myself' is. I'd rather just be whatever makes people like me." Alphys looked down at her own hands. The Human's self hug tightened and she didn't dare to look up. " Eheheh..." Alphys sighed and her shoulders fell.

"You're right. I just... can't keep doing this. Every day I'm scared... Scared what will happen if people learn the truth on their own. And that's exactly what happened with you! You got hurt because of me and so will everyone else." The Human lifted a hand to her bangs and tried to move them to behind her ear but it wasn't long enough and it fell again in front of her face.

"But how can I tell UNDYNE the tr... truth? I d-don't have the confidence. How am I supposed to practice?!"

"Well if we're already following our anime rule, then! Let's Roleplay it." The Human said, trying to perk up again.

"R... roleplay?" Alphys asked. "... That actually sounds kinda fun, too. Okay! Which one of us will be Undyne?" The Human raised a brow.

"I'll be Undyne?"

"Oh. Right. Obviously. Ehehe."

"But now that I've said that, I'm kinda curious as to how you would do it."

"O-O-Oh..."

"But for practice, it's best if you're yourself." Alphys nodded, blushing deeply. Even though she had just admitted that she didn't like herse- "I promise, you're not as bad as you think you are."

Hmm... Alphys still didn't know how true that was or how much of it The Human believed. But... She seemed to believe it. Even if Alphys still didn't think she should.

"O-Okay, I'll start, then." Alphys conceded. "Ahem. H-hi Undyne... H-how are you doing today?"

"I'm fine." The Human said calmly, which Alphys didn't think was so in character but for a start she appreciated it.

"Ha! Ha! Glad to hear it!..." But then she was also at a lost as to what to say next. The Human nodded assuringly and Alphys huffed. "Uhhh, so I'd like to, um, talk to you about something."

"What is it, Alphys?"

"Umm, you see... I... I... I... I h-haven't been exactly truthful w-w-with you..."

"What do you mean?" Alphys frowned and grumbled at that.

"H-How is this s-supposed to actually h-help me if you don't p-play your part well?" Alphys demanded. The Human pressed her lips together. Alphys was concerned for a moment. But then something like... resolve.. sparked in The Human's gaze and she took an almost defensive stance.

"Okay! But just remember you asked for it!"

Alphys cleared her throat again.

"R-right. So, I h-haven't been exactly truthful w-with you..." The Human gasped loudly and put her hands against her cheeks.

"What?!" O-Okay, that was a l-little bit better. But still not how Alphys would have done it.

"Y... you see. I... I... "

The Human came closer.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" The Human asked dramatically. "What has your cute face all twisted up in concern!?"

"U-Uh... Thanks, y-you say that a.. a lot. But I know you just mean it platonically. Because we're just friends! Eheheheh. But a-as I was saying-... Oh, forget it! Undyne! I... I want to tell you how I feel! Y-you're so brave, a-and s-strong... A-and n-nice... Y-you always listen t-to me when I talk about n-n-nerdy stuff... Y-you always d-d-do your best to m-make me f-f-feel special...

"Because you are!" The Human cried. "You are special to me! Alphys!" The Human leaned in closer. "THEN! She sweeps you up! And kisses you!" Alphy's mouth dropped.

"WH-WHAT?! UNDYNE WOULD NEVER, UH..." B-But... It _was_ just pretending. "... I kiss her back... S... softly..." Alphys dared. The Human's smile widened, a gleam Alphys had _never_ seen in them except through the cameras was sparking in their eyes among the resolve. This spark Alphys had been certain was only reserved for Papyrus. It m-made Alphys f-feel... "I... l-look gently into her eyes..." Alphys said as she tried to get back on top of things.

"She leans in once again!" The Human says, leaning against Alphys' shoulder with flare to rival Mettaton.

"I-! I... I uh! I START HOLLERING! UNDYNE! I LOVE YOU! I AM SO MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

"ALPHYS! I LOVE YOU! HOLD ME!" The Human hugged Alphys. Alphys wrapped her own arms around The Human and looked up towards the stone ceiling, still raving.

"UNDYNE! KISS ME AGAIN! UNDYNE!"

And suddenly, there she was. Undyne. Right in front of them.

Both Alphys and The Human shrieked as they held on to each other more tightly.

Undyne stared.

...

...

..

 _"I know how it feels to keep a secret that hurts you."_


End file.
